Intense fighting between Druze residents and Sunni Bedouin clans in Syria’s southern Suwayda province has left at least 50 people dead over the past 24 hours, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The violence, which began over the weekend and continued into Monday, has raised fears of escalating sectarian conflict in the predominantly Druze region.
Origins of the Violence:
The clashes erupted following the robbery and kidnapping of a Druze merchant at a Bedouin checkpoint on the Damascus-Suwayda highway on Friday. This incident triggered a cycle of retaliatory kidnappings between the two communities.
Escalation and Spread:
By Sunday, the tensions exploded into armed clashes in the al-Maqous neighborhood of Suwayda city, as reported by the Syrian Interior Ministry. The fighting quickly spread to other parts of the province. Local media reported armed Bedouin tribesmen attacking Druze villages on the city’s western and northern outskirts.
Casualties and Response:
The UK-based SOHR, which relies on sources within Syria, reported the death toll includes at least 34 Druze residents, 10 members of Bedouin clans, and six Syrian army personnel. One child was among the dead.
In response, the Syrian Interior and Defense Ministries announced the coordinated deployment of security and army forces to Suwayda to “quickly and decisively disperse clashes.” They called on all parties to cooperate with authorities and exercise restraint. The Interior Ministry expressed deep concern, linking the escalation to an “institutional vacuum” in Suwayda that hampered local crisis management and contributed to chaos.
Local Distrust of Authorities:
The intervention faced significant resistance and suspicion from the local Druze community. The Spiritual Leadership of the Unitarian Druze Muslims, the community’s highest religious authority, rejected the security forces’ entry into the province. Their statement accused the forces of bombarding Druze villages and supporting “takfiri gangs” (a term often referring to radical groups like ISIS) with heavy weapons and drones. The leadership demanded international protection.
The Men of Dignity, a prominent Druze faction in Suwayda, also condemned the clashes and held the Syrian government “primarily responsible” for the security failure and for allowing affiliated factions to take sides.
Background Context:
The Druze, a religious minority concentrated in Suwayda, have largely maintained neutrality during Syria’s civil war while managing local affairs.
The clashes follow weeks of heightened tensions and come just two months after a security agreement between the government and Druze leaders. That May agreement aimed to activate local security roles under the Interior Ministry and judicial police (staffed by locals) and stipulated that government forces securing the Damascus-Suwayda highway would not deploy within the province.
Sectarian violence between Druze and Sunni groups also occurred in April and May in areas near Damascus, including Jaramana, Sahnaya, and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya.
Israel, which has sought closer ties with Syria’s Druze since the fall of the Assad regime, has repeatedly warned Syrian authorities against harming the community.
The situation in Suwayda remains volatile, with deep-seated local tensions, mistrust of central authorities, and a significant death toll raising concerns about further destabilization in the province.
