End of fighting in Sweida as druze groups take control

Sunday 20 July 2025 - 07:30

The Syrian government announced Sunday that the violent clashes in Sweida have officially ended, following the recapture of the city by Druze militias. This comes just a week after the violent intercommunal fighting broke out, resulting in hundreds of deaths in the southern Syrian city.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), nearly 940 people have died since hostilities erupted between the Druze and Sunni Bedouin groups on July 13. The fighting has displaced approximately 87,000 people, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

"Sweida has been evacuated of all tribal fighters, and the battles in the city's districts have ceased," said the Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson, Noureddine Al-Baba, on Telegram.

The violence had escalated with tribal fighters engaging in heavy gunfire, and some, masked and armed, were seen attacking and looting stores before setting them on fire. AFP correspondents reported witnessing dozens of homes and vehicles destroyed in the crossfire. Tribal fighters reportedly retreated Saturday night after a counter-offensive by the Druze forces but continued to bombard the city.

A Fragile Ceasefire and Rising Tensions

On Saturday, the Syrian government declared a ceasefire in the Sweida province and began redeploying its forces to restore peace in the region. Earlier in the week, forces loyal to the interim president Ahmad el-Chareh had deployed to the region, but they withdrew after several Israeli airstrikes targeted Syrian government positions in Damascus, citing concerns for the Druze community’s safety. The region is close to Israel's border, and the Israeli government has expressed its determination to protect the Druze people, a minority sect that follows a branch of Islam.

As tensions continued to rise, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Syrian authorities to hold accountable those responsible for atrocities committed during the violence, including members of their own forces. "The Syrian government must use its security forces to prevent ISIS and other violent jihadists from entering the region and committing further massacres," Rubio wrote on X.

Regional Impact and International Reactions

The situation in Sweida is a microcosm of the broader chaos that has plagued Syria since the civil war began in 2011. The rise of ISIS during the war led to the group controlling vast swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq, with a self-proclaimed "caliphate" that existed from 2014 to 2019. Although ISIS has been defeated in many areas, it continues to maintain a presence, particularly in the vast desert regions of Syria.

In response to the ongoing violence, Paris urged all parties to adhere strictly to the ceasefire and avoid unilateral actions. Meanwhile, the Israeli government, which has expressed its concern for the Druze community in the region, has been opposed to the presence of Syrian government forces in Sweida.

These latest intercommunal clashes further weaken the position of President Ahmad el-Chareh, who came to power after overthrowing Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The government’s inability to prevent such violence raises questions about its ability to maintain control in the war-torn country.

Despite the cessation of active fighting, Sweida remains a highly volatile region, with tensions still simmering between various factions. In addition, reports of atrocities from earlier in the year, including a massacre in March that killed over 1,700 people, mostly members of the Alawite sect from which Bashar al-Assad hails, continue to haunt the region.

The Future of the Druze Community in Syria

Before the civil war, the Druze community in Syria numbered approximately 700,000 people. The majority of them reside in the Sweida region, with smaller communities in Lebanon and Israel. The Druze are a distinct sect within Islam, known for their secretive religious practices and strong cultural identity.

The end of the fighting in Sweida may signal a temporary calm, but the underlying tensions are far from over. With major international actors like Israel and the United States involved in the region's politics, the road to lasting peace remains uncertain.