Fragile Calm In Suwayda After Deadly Clashes Leave Hundreds Dead

 

Fighting in the southern Syrian city of Suwayda has reportedly ceased following a week of intense violence that left hundreds dead and drew international concern, including Israeli military action and condemnation from the United States.

A ceasefire agreement reached on Saturday between the Syrian government, Druze groups, and Bedouin tribes appeared to be holding on Sunday, with no reports of gunfire in Suwayda. However, communication with the region remains limited.

“After several bloody days in Suwayda province, the Internal Security Forces have succeeded in calming the situation following their deployment in the northern and western areas,” said Interior Minister Anas Khattab in a statement posted online.

Khattab noted that the ceasefire enforcement has paved the way for a prisoner exchange and the potential restoration of order throughout the province, although no exchanges had taken place by Sunday.

An aid convoy from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) entered the province Sunday afternoon, bringing medicine and food. Still, the health ministry reported being denied access in other parts of the region.

The U.S. envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, called for restraint and humanitarian access, stating: “Escalating hostilities can only be contained with an agreement to pause violence, protect the innocent, allow humanitarian access, and step back from danger.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the Syrian government on Saturday, urging it to block “violent jihadists” from entering Suwayda and “carrying out massacres.”

Over the weekend, clashes intensified on the western outskirts of the city between Bedouin tribal fighters and Druze groups. The Spiritual Leadership faction, one of the main Druze organizations, accused Bedouin forces of violating the ceasefire and demanded a full withdrawal of all forces aligned with the central government, including military, intelligence, and affiliated militias.

The conflict in Suwayda began when Syrian government troops intervened in escalating tensions between local Druze communities and Bedouin tribes. The Druze, a closed religious sect that does not permit conversion or intermarriage, form a tight-knit minority in the region. In contrast, the Bedouin are largely nomadic tribal communities with extended family ties reaching into Gaza and Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

The Syrian government’s involvement in the clashes prompted an Israeli airstrike on Damascus last Wednesday. Israel stated it launched the strike to protect the Druze and cited ongoing concerns over the Syrian government’s composition, which Israeli officials view as increasingly dominated by Sunni extremist elements.

Israel has been conducting strikes in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime last December, targeting groups it considers threats to regional stability.

Interior Minister Khattab emphasized that the deployment of internal security forces to Suwayda is intended to stabilize the region and reduce the widespread availability of weapons.

“Our priority is the complete cessation of gunfire,” Khattab said. “This will enable the state to resume its role in restoring normal life to Suwayda city and the entire province.”

Whether the fragile ceasefire can hold amid deep mistrust and calls for military withdrawal remains to be seen. For now, residents in Suwayda are hoping that the worst of the violence is behind them.