Tensions soar in Suwayda as clashes deepen

SUWAYDA, Syria — The southern Syrian province of Suwayda, long known for its relative calm and strong Druze identity, is now witnessing some of the deadliest violence since the collapse of the Assad regime last December. A spiral of sectarian tension, retaliatory attacks, and government crackdowns has resulted in nearly 100 people killed, prompting urgent domestic and international calls for de-escalation — and an Israeli airstrike on Syrian military assets. 

The violence erupted following an ambush earlier this week in which a Druze merchant was attacked and robbed by tribal gunmen on the Damascus–Suwayda highway. The incident triggered a wave of retaliatory kidnappings between local Druze factions and Bedouin tribes, plunging the region into chaos. Over the weekend, heavy fighting broke out in multiple areas around Suwayda, leading to a full-blown military confrontation. 

By Monday evening, government forces had advanced toward the city, deploying tanks, rocket launchers, and drones in what Syrian officials described as a campaign to restore order. Israel, citing the protection of its co-religionist Druze community, reportedly launched airstrikes targeting Syrian tanks operating near Druze-majority areas. The Israeli Defense Forces did not immediately comment. 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported 89 deaths since Sunday: 50 Druze (mostly fighters), two women, two children, 18 Bedouins, 14 members of Syrian security forces, and 7 unidentified militants. Thousands have fled their homes as clashes intensified along the city’s outskirts and in nearby rural towns. 

Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, the highest Druze religious authority in Syria, issued a powerful appeal for peace. “We are seekers of peace, but it is our right to request international protection if we feel threatened,” he said in a televised address.  

Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri: “We are seekers of peace, but it is our right to request international protection if we feel threatened.”

His comments came as Israel launched airstrikes targeting Syrian Army tanks that were advancing into the Druze-majority Sweida… pic.twitter.com/18JdnBNbwr

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) July 15, 2025

His statement came after reports emerged of an assassination attempt against him, which ANHA correspondents said failed. Despite the violence, the situation in central Suwayda remained calm on Tuesday morning, though residents braced for further developments. 

The Druze Spiritual Leadership followed al-Hijri’s statement with a formal call for a ceasefire. “The hands of peace remain extended,” the statement read, emphasizing the community’s adherence to law, state sovereignty, and the rejection of any “extremist, rogue, or lawless factions.” While endorsing local policing by Suwayda residents, the leadership stressed its belief that Damascus shares its vision for peaceful resolution and affirmed ongoing communication with the central government. 

In a separate statement, civic actors and religious authorities in Suwayda echoed calls for calm and expressed conditional support for the central government. “We welcome the entry of the Ministries of Interior and Defense to re-establish control over military and security posts and secure the province,” the statement said. It urged armed factions in Suwayda to cooperate with state forces, hand over their weapons, and avoid resisting security deployments. The statement also demanded that all sides observe a temporary ceasefire to allow for negotiations ensuring the protection of civilians and private property. 

The declaration acknowledged that “Syrian blood is sacred” and called for urgent dialogue with Damascus to address the fallout of the clashes and to activate public institutions in partnership with Suwayda’s educated elite and national talent pool. 

Following a particularly deadly night, Suwayda’s chief of internal security announced a strict curfew in the city starting Tuesday morning. The measure, described as indefinite, aims to prevent armed groups from using residential areas as strongholds. The official called on religious figures and militia leaders to “fulfill their national and humanitarian responsibilities” and to aid in stabilizing the city. 

The Ministry of Defense confirmed that its forces are actively pursuing “lawless groups” operating in the area, alleging that they were retreating into central Suwayda to avoid capture. Video footage circulated online appeared to show convoys of tanks and military hardware approaching the city. 

In a sign of possible de-escalation, Bassem Fakhr, spokesperson for Rijal al-Karama (Men of Dignity), the largest Druze armed group, told Agence France-Presse that negotiations are underway between Syrian authorities and Druze representatives to reach a ceasefire. “We have been discussing this with General Security and the Ministry of Defense,” Fakhr said, noting that a long-standing proposal to form a joint Druze-led security force had stalled due to delays from the state. 

Fakhr blamed “undisciplined factions and certain tribal militias” for the violence, accusing them of looting and burning homes in several Druze villages. “They have taken over five towns on Suwayda’s outskirts,” he added. 

Syrian forces advance on Sweida to quell deadly clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes.

Druze leader says truce talks underwayhttps://t.co/WBb3swyTey pic.twitter.com/knShhXdnpU

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 15, 2025

These confrontations have resurrected concerns over Syria’s fragile stability under its post-Assad government, led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa. This is not the first outbreak of violence under his administration. In March, brutal clashes shook Syria’s Alawite-dominated coastal regions, followed by skirmishes in April near Damascus involving Druze fighters and state forces. 

With casualties mounting and tensions at a boiling point, all sides appear aware that Suwayda could become the next flashpoint in Syria’s turbulent path forward. The window for peaceful resolution remains open — but narrowing.