Syrian troops seize Druze stronghold after fierce showdown

Government Troops Move into Sweida to End Bedouin‑Druze Clashes

The interior ministry announced that Syrian forces entered the Druze‑majority city of Sweida on Tuesday. The move aimed to stop a deadly feud that has already killed nearly 100 people.

Strategic Entry

Military columns advanced toward Sweida in the morning, with heavy artillery positioned in the surrounding area. The defence ministry later confirmed that troops had entered the city and urged residents to stay home and report any movements of outlaw groups.

Local Response

• The Druze religious leaders approved the deployment of Damascus troops and called on fighters to hand over weapons.
• A curfew was imposed to halt the violence that erupted at the weekend and spread across Sweida governorate.
• One Druze faction reported that talks were underway with the Damascus government.

Civilians and Casualties

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported 99 fatalities since the fighting erupted on Sunday: 60 Druze (including four civilians), 18 Bedouin fighters, 14 security personnel, and seven unidentified people wearing military uniforms. The defence ministry reported 18 deaths among the armed forces.

Druze Opposition

While Druze leaders called for a ceasefire and said they did not oppose the central government, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri opposed the arrival of security forces and called for international protection.

Regional Dynamics

• Israel, which views Druze as potential allies, bombed several Syrian tanks on Monday, warning the regime that it would not allow harm to be done to the Druze.
• The Druze, followers of an esoteric religion that split from Shiite Islam, are mainly found in Syria, Lebanon and Israel.
• Following deadly clashes with government forces in April and May, local and religious leaders reached an agreement with Damascus under which Druze fighters had been providing security in the province.

Community Sentiment

• Abu Taym, a 51-year-old father, said: “We lived in a state of extreme terror – the shells were falling randomly.”
• Amal, a 46-year-old woman, warned: “We fear a repeat of the coastal scenario,” referring to massacres in March of more than 1,700 mostly Alawite civilians in northwest Syria, where groups affiliated with the government were blamed for most killings.
• She added: “We are not against the state, but we are against surrendering our weapons without a state that treats everyone the same.”

The violence began on Sunday when Bedouin gunmen abducted a Druze vegetable vendor on the highway to Damascus, prompting retaliatory kidnappings. Members of Bedouin tribes, who are Sunni Muslims, sided with security forces during earlier confrontations with the Druze, fueling a longstanding feud that periodically erupts between the two sides.