Syria's southern province of Sweida was rocked by a surge of violence on Sunday, leaving at least 18 people dead and around 50 wounded in clashes between the local Druze community and Bedouin tribes, according to reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
The SOHR confirmed 14 Druze fighters and four Bedouin tribesmen among the fatalities. Several children are among the injured, with some in critical condition as hospitals struggle to cope.
Fighting erupted in the eastern al-Muqawwas neighborhood, where residents reported heavy gunfire and mutual shelling. By midday, the conflict had spread to Sweida's western and northern countryside, including around al-Tayra village, where one Druze man was killed.
In the village of Lbeen, clashes intensified as armed groups exchanged fire. Meanwhile, Bedouin gunmen launched a coordinated assault on police checkpoints near al-Sura al-Kabira in the north, using mortar shells to clear a path toward security forces.
Reinforcements from nearby Daraa province swelled the ranks of Bedouin fighters, with dozens arriving in pickup trucks to support tribal allies in the field. The SOHR warns that the influx of reinforcements could drive the conflict into a more destructive phase.
Underlying the outbreak was an earlier dispute: armed Bedouins allegedly assaulted and robbed a young Druze man at a makeshift checkpoint near al-Masmiyah. In retaliation, local Druze fighters detained several Bedouin community members, inflaming tensions that quickly spiraled into open warfare.
With no national authorities stepping in, community elders are racing to negotiate the release of detainees and broker a fragile ceasefire. Yet road closures, including the Damascus-Sweida highway, and reports of further skirmishes signal a precarious calm.
As Sweida's residents brace for another wave of violence, humanitarian workers warn that any prolonged clashes could deepen divisions and trigger a wider security crisis in southern Syria.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
