Suweida: Sectarian clashes have persisted in southern Syria despite an "immediate ceasefire" announced by the country's president. Reports indicate that Druze fighters on Saturday expelled Bedouin gunmen from Suweida city, although fighting continued in other parts of the province. This information has not been verified by BBC.
According to BBC, government forces deployed earlier this week by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa were accused of participating in attacks on the Druze. More than 900 individuals have been reported dead in the past week, with all sides accused of committing atrocities. On Saturday evening, the Syrian interior ministry stated that clashes in Suweida had ceased following intervention by its forces in the city.
Reuters news agency reported ongoing fighting in other areas of Suweida province. Earlier this week, Israel declared support for the Druze, launching attacks on government forces and the defense ministry in Damascus. Sharaa announced a ceasefire on Saturday, with Syrian security forces deployed to Suweida to end the clashes. The agreement included a cessation of Israeli military strikes, approved by Israel under a US-brokered pact, contingent on the protection of Druze citizens.
Government troops have established checkpoints to prevent further participation in the fighting, though gunfire was reported in Suweida earlier on Saturday. An AFP news agency correspondent witnessed armed men looting shops and setting them ablaze. Additionally, Israel's foreign minister expressed skepticism about the renewed commitment by the president to safeguard minorities and all Syrians.
The Druze community in Suweida, who follow a unique faith derived from Shia Islam, harbors distrust towards the current government in Damascus. They are a minority in Syria, as well as in Israel and Lebanon. In a social media post, Gideon Saar described it as "very dangerous" to be a minority in Syria, citing evidence from the past six months.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to prevent harm to the Druze in Syria due to their ties with those living in Israel. Long-standing tensions between Druze and Bedouin tribes erupted into deadly clashes last Sunday after a Druze merchant was abducted on the highway to Damascus.
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR), 940 people have been killed since the clashes began. The ceasefire between Israel and Syria was announced by US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack on Friday. Barrack urged Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to lay down their arms and work with other minorities to build a new, united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity.
BBC's Middle East correspondent, Lina Sinjab, reported from Syria that violence against the Druze is spreading across the country. Earlier this week, UN human rights chief Volker Trk shared credible reports of widespread violations and abuses during the clashes, including summary executions and arbitrary killings in Suweida. Alleged perpetrators included security forces, individuals affiliated with the interim government, and local Druze and Bedouin armed elements.
Trk emphasized the need to stop the bloodshed and violence, asserting that those responsible must be held accountable. The Syrian leader reiterated his government's commitment to protecting all minorities and sects, promising to hold violators accountable from any party. "No-one will escape accountability," he stated.