Druze ‘control city’ in Syria but fighting rages

Druze fighters have pushed rival armed groups reportedly out of Syria’s Sweida, regaining control of the city even as clashes persisted in other parts of its violence-hit province.

Tribal and Bedouin fighters deploy in the western neighbourhood of southern Syria's predominantly Druze city of Sweida, amid clashes with Druze gunmen on Saturday. Picture: Abdulaziz Ketaz / AFP

Druze fighters have pushed rival armed groups out of Syria’s Sweida, a monitor and an armed group said, regaining control of the city even as clashes persisted in other parts of the violence-hit province.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said that “tribal fighters withdrew from Sweida city on Saturday evening” after Druze fighters launched a large-scale attack.

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa earlier on Saturday had announced an immediate ceasefire in the southern province, which has had seven days of deadly violence., and renewed his pledge to protect Syria’s ethnic and religious minorities.

“The Syrian state is committed to protecting all minorities and communities in the country … we condemn all crimes committed” in Sweida, he said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on the Syrian government to prevent jihadists from entering and “carrying out massacres” in the conflict-stricken south of the country.

“If authorities in Damascus want to preserve any chance of achieving a unified, inclusive and peaceful Syria … they must help end this calamity by using their security forces to prevent ISIS and any other violent jihadists from entering the area and carrying out massacres,” he said in a statement posted to X, using another name for the Islamic State group (IS).

Sectarian clashes between armed Bedouin forces and the Druze in the community’s Sweida heartland had drawn in Syria’s Islamist-led government, Israel and other armed tribes.

US-brokered negotiations have sought to avert further Israeli military intervention, with Syrian forces agreeing to withdraw from the region.

“The US has remained heavily involved over the last three days with Israel, Jordan and authorities in Damascus on the horrifying & dangerous developments in southern Syria,” Rubio said.

He called for the Syrian government to “hold accountable and bring to justice anyone guilty of atrocities including those in their own ranks”.

“Furthermore the fighting between Druze and Bedouin groups inside the perimeter must also stop immediately,” he said.

Once in control of large swathes of Syria, the IS was territorially defeated in Syria in 2019 largely due to the efforts of Kurdish-led forces supported by an international coalition.

Violence between the Druze and Bedouin groups that began on July 13 has left an estimated 940 dead, according to the SOHR. The count included 326 Druze fighters and 262 Druze civilians, 165 of whom were summarily executed, it said.

The monitor included 312 government security personnel and 21 Sunni Bedouin in the toll.

The government said Druze fighters had pushed out rival armed factions from the city and that it was “evacuated of all tribal fighters, and clashes within the city’s neighbourhoods were halted”, Syria’s interior ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba said in a post on Telegram.

Israel bombed government forces in both Sweida and Damascus last week to force their withdrawal after they were accused of summary executions and other abuses against Druze civilians during their brief deployment in the southern province. Earlier on Saturday, a witness said he saw dozens of torched homes and vehicles, and armed men setting fire to shops after looting them.

But in the evening, Bassem Fakhr, spokesman for the Men of Dignity, one of the two largest Druze armed groups, said there was “no Bedouin presence in the city”.

The SOHR also said “tribal fighters withdrew from Sweida city on Saturday evening” after Druze fighters launched a large-scale attack.

Fighting nonetheless persisted in other parts of Sweida province, even as the Druze regained control of their city following days of fierce battle with armed Bedouin supported by tribal gunmen from other parts of Syria.

The deal between the Islamist government and Israel had been announced by Washington early on Saturday.

US pointman on Syria Tom Barrack said Mr Sharaa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “have agreed to a ceasefire” negotiated by the US.

Mr Barrack, the US ambassador to Ankara, said the deal had the backing of Turkey, a key supporter of Sharaa, as well as neighbouring Jordan.

He later held a meeting in Amman with the Syrian and Jordanian top diplomats, during which they “agreed on practical steps to support Syria in implementing the agreement”, the US envoy said in a later post on X.

The Wall Street Journal and agencies