Anti-riot police in central Damascus
Dozens have been reported dead following intense armed clashes between Sunni Bedouin tribal fighters and Druze militias in Syria’s southern province of Suweida, according to local media outlets.
Violence erupted on Sunday in the largely Druze-populated city within Suweida province, just two days after reports emerged that a Druze merchant had been abducted on the highway connecting the city to Damascus. Fighting continued into Monday despite government efforts to restore calm, particularly in the province’s western regions.
The deadly outbreak marks one of the most significant flare-ups of sectarian violence in Syria since the Islamist-led rebels ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December. Minority communities across the country, including the Druze—a religious group rooted in Shia Islam with distinct beliefs—have raised growing concerns about the new authorities’ promises to protect their rights and safety.
The exact number of casualties remains uncertain. Suwayda 24, an activist-run news outlet based in the region, reported that “dozens” had been killed and over 200 people wounded in the clashes. Syria’s interior ministry earlier placed the death toll at a minimum of 30. Meanwhile, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirmed the deaths of dozens, including children, Bedouin tribespeople, and members of Syria’s state defence forces.
These casualty figures have not yet been independently verified by the BBC or other international outlets.
The Israeli military announced on Monday that it had targeted several tanks believed to be advancing toward Suweida. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated via Telegram that the tanks posed a potential threat to Israeli security, and pledged to continue monitoring developments in southern Syria.
Israeli broadcaster Channel 14 reported that the strike followed “suspicious movements” suggesting the tanks were approaching a Druze-majority area. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously pledged to defend the Druze community amid rising sectarian tensions in Syria.
Initial clashes between Bedouin tribesmen and Druze militias broke out in Suweida city’s al-Maqwas neighbourhood, which is primarily inhabited by Bedouin communities. Armed Druze factions reportedly surrounded and seized control of the area before the fighting escalated.
As the violence spread across Suweida province, tribal fighters were said to have launched counterattacks on Druze villages and towns located on the western and northern fringes of the city. SOHR reported shelling in the towns of Sumay and Mazraah, while residents of the village of Tayrah fled after armed groups entered the area and torched several homes.
On Monday, Suwayda 24 said new battles erupted in Suweida’s western countryside, triggered by drone strikes on nearby villages. At the same time, Syrian government forces were reportedly deployed to adjacent areas in eastern Deraa province.
These latest confrontations shattered a brief period of calm achieved after a round of mediation between Druze and Bedouin community leaders on Sunday night. That mediation had resulted in the mutual release of captives taken by both factions during the earlier skirmishes.
In an official statement, Syria’s interior ministry acknowledged the severity of the escalation, blaming the absence of functioning state institutions for the descent into violence and chaos. “This dangerous escalation comes in light of the absence of relevant official institutions, leading to worsening chaos, a collapse of the security situation, and the local community’s inability to contain the crisis despite repeated calls for calm,” the ministry stated.
It also announced that interior ministry forces, in collaboration with the defence ministry, would begin direct intervention in the region to re-establish order and end hostilities.
Suweida’s governor, Mustapha al-Bakur, urged residents to practice restraint and heed national appeals for peace and reform. Several prominent Druze spiritual leaders also issued statements calling for calm and de-escalation.
This is not the first time Suweida has seen such deadly confrontations. In early May, more than 130 people were reportedly killed in clashes involving Druze gunmen, government security forces, and allied Sunni Islamist fighters in Suweida province and two Damascus suburbs.
Following that bloodshed, the Syrian government struck an agreement with Druze militias, allowing for the recruitment of local Druze fighters into regional security forces under government control—an apparent effort to de-escalate tensions and foster local buy-in for law enforcement operations.
However, the renewed fighting underscores the fragile and volatile nature of intercommunal relations in post-Assad Syria, as local grievances, longstanding mistrust, and the collapse of central authority continue to fuel instability in the region.
