According to a statement from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the death toll in the Suwayda clashes has risen to 37, including 27 Druze and 10 Bedouins. The report also noted that around 50 people, including two children, were wounded.
Syria’s Interim Government Ministry of Interior in Damascus announced that, in coordination with the Ministry of Defense, police units had intervened to resolve the dispute, stop the fighting, restore security, pursue those responsible, and bring them before the relevant judicial authorities.
The ministry claimed that the clashes were the result of tensions that had built up over previous periods.
These confrontations mark the first deadly clashes between the two communities since violent incidents in April and May, when fighting between Druze fighters and Damascus security forces led to dozens of deaths.
The local news site Sweida 24, citing medical sources, reported the use of firearms and artillery and said that the road connecting Damascus and Suwayda was closed due to the violence.
Suwayda Governor Mustafa al-Bakur called for calm. Several prominent Druze figures also urged restraint and called on the authorities to intervene.
Suwayda province, with a population of approximately 700,000, is home to the largest Druze community in the country. The Druze are a religious minority rooted in the Ismaili branch of Shia Islam.
Druze communities are primarily found in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. According to recent data, there are about 152,000 Druze in the region, including 24,000 living in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Fewer than 5% of them hold Israeli citizenship.
SDF condemned the attacks
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) issued a statement saying: “We condemn the ongoing attacks and aggression targeting the villages and towns of al-Sweida, which have led to the tragic loss of many lives and the burning and looting of numerous civilian homes and farms.”
The statement added: “The repeated attacks on our people in al-Sweida, along with the continued harassment they face in their daily lives and freedom of movement, are deeply concerning. These acts represent a serious setback to the hopes and aspirations of the Syrian people.”
The SDF called “for an immediate end to these attacks, guarantees to prevent their recurrence, and providing opportunity for national initiatives to address all issues in a way that reflects the will and interests of all components of the Syrian people.”
Source: ANF News
