The Syrian Ministry of Defence has announced a ceasefire in the Druze-majority city of Suwayda, following days of deadly clashes with Bedouin tribes. According to Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, “To all units operating within the city of Suwayda, we declare a complete ceasefire,” after an agreement was reached with the city’s “notables and dignitaries”. This development comes after government forces were deployed to halt the violence, which has killed at least 99 people since Friday.
The clashes, which began on Sunday, were sparked by a series of tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks between members of local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed factions.
The violence has resulted in significant loss of life, including 60 Druze, among them four civilians, 18 Bedouin fighters, 14 security personnel, and seven unidentified people in military uniforms. The Defence Ministry reported 18 deaths among the armed forces.
In a statement, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, a Druze spiritual leader, accused the government of breaking its promises and called on locals to resist the forces of transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa. “We are being subject to a total war of extermination,” he said in a recorded video statement, calling on all Druze “to confront this barbaric campaign with all means available”.
The situation has been further complicated by Israeli attacks on government positions in Syria. Israel has attempted to portray itself as a protector of the Druze in Syria and sees them as potential allies. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Damascus against targeting the Druze, saying the Israeli military “attacked targets in Syria as a message and a clear warning to the Syrian regime — we will not allow harm to the Druze in Syria”.
Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Deir Az Azor in Syria, said fighting in the city had been ongoing since Friday. “It escalated and more than two dozen people were killed. The government sent its reinforcements and then there was an ambush of the government troops as well, where at least 18 soldiers we believe were either killed or wounded,” he said. Bin Javaid noted that the situation has been exacerbated by Israeli attacks on government positions in Syria, with Israel stating it will continue to monitor and attack any movement of personnel or hardware in southern Syria.