A Ceasefire Holds in Sweida Amid Ongoing Tensions
After a series of failed attempts to end the violence between the Druze and Bedouin communities, a ceasefire announced on Saturday appears to be holding. This development comes after weeks of intense fighting that escalated to involve the Islamist-led government, the Israeli military, and armed tribes from different parts of Syria.
On Sunday morning, AFP correspondents reported no clashes near Sweida city, with government forces stationed in certain areas to ensure the truce is respected. Additionally, a humanitarian convoy was en route to the Druze-majority city, signaling a potential shift in the situation.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights noted that since around midnight on Saturday, “Sweida has been experiencing a cautious calm.” The organization also mentioned that government security forces had blocked roads leading into the province to prevent tribal fighters from entering.
According to the Observatory, more than 1,000 people have been killed since the violence began a week ago. This includes 336 Druze fighters, 298 civilians from the minority group, 342 government security personnel, and 21 Sunni Bedouin. Witnesses, Druze factions, and the Observatory have accused government forces of supporting the Bedouin and committing abuses such as summary executions when they entered Sweida days ago.
Hanadi Obeid, a 39-year-old doctor, told AFP that “the city hasn’t seen calm like this in a week.” The interior ministry stated that Sweida city was “evacuated of all tribal fighters, and clashes within the city’s neighbourhoods were halted.”
Earlier, the Syrian Observatory reported that Druze fighters had retook control of the city on Saturday evening. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced a new ceasefire in Sweida on Saturday, renewing his commitment to protect Syria’s ethnic and religious minorities amid the latest sectarian violence since Islamists overthrew longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.
A spokesman for Syria’s tribal and clan council told Al Jazeera that fighters had left the city “in response to the call of the presidency and the terms of the agreement.” Another medic inside Sweida told AFP by telephone on Sunday that “the situation is totally calm. We aren’t hearing clashes.”
However, the medic added that no medical or relief assistance had entered the city yet, citing security concerns. State news SANA published images showing medical aid being prepared near the health ministry in Damascus and quoted Health Minister Musab al-Ali as saying assistance would be delivered to Sweida’s main hospital, where bodies have piled up.
Inside the city, where around 150,000 people live, residents have been confined to their homes without electricity, water, and with limited food supplies. The United Nations migration agency reported that more than 128,000 people in Sweida province have been displaced due to the violence.
US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said on Sunday that the country stood at a “critical juncture,” emphasizing that “peace and dialogue must prevail – and prevail now.” He urged all factions to immediately lay down their arms, cease hostilities, and abandon cycles of tribal vengeance. Barrack added that “brutal acts by warring factions on the ground undermine the government’s authority and disrupt any semblance of order.”
