Reports Suggest Sweida Ceasefire Shatters Amid Renewed Clashes
Renewed clashes shatter a fragile ceasefire in Syria's Sweida per Syrian al-Yaum TV, with Druze leaders calling for peace and SOHR warning of a humanitarian crisis. The week of intense violence has left more than 1,000 people dead, including hundreds of civilians and security forces.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A fragile ceasefire in southern Syria’s Sweida governorate has shattered, with Syrian Al-Yaum TV reporting on Sunday that clashes have renewed between local Druze factions and armed men from Bedouin clans, plunging the volatile region back into violence after a week of bloodshed that has left more than 1,000 people dead.
According to a correspondent for Al-Yaum TV, fighting erupted in the areas of Ariqa and Shahba in the Sweida countryside on Sunday, just hours after a cautious calm had settled over the governorate following days of violent confrontations. The renewed hostilities have immediately thrown a de-escalation agreement into jeopardy and deepened fears of a worsening humanitarian catastrophe.
In the wake of the renewed violence, the Spiritual Presidency of the Druze Unitarians issued a statement calling for an immediate halt to the fighting while also welcoming international aid efforts.
“We call, clearly and firmly, for an immediate end to the brutal assault on the governorate of Sweida , and for a halt to the media disinformation campaigns and the broadcasting of malicious rumors aimed at fueling violence and hatred,” the statement read.
The spiritual leadership sought to de-escalate sectarian tensions, explicitly stating, “We reiterate that we have no dispute with anyone on any religious or ethnic basis, and shame and disgrace upon all who seek to sow sedition and hatred in the minds of the youth.”
The statement also acknowledged the dire humanitarian situation, valuing “every sincere effort aimed at saving lives and alleviating suffering” and welcoming “all humanitarian aid arriving in the afflicted governorate.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based war monitor, corroborated the reports of renewed fighting, warning that the ceasefire agreement is now under threat. According to SOHR activists, clashes involving medium weapons and mortar shells have broken out in the villages of Ariqa, Rima, Hazm, and Shahba following an attack by "clan fighters."
The Observatory painted a grim picture of the humanitarian impact, reporting that the city of Ariqa is suffering "severe material damage, with reports of fires affecting civilian homes amidst the ongoing shelling, which portends a humanitarian disaster if the battles continue." The escalation has also hampered the delivery of relief aid that humanitarian organizations were preparing for the affected areas.
SOHR noted that in a move to contain the violence, Syrian government security forces had closed roads leading to the governorate to the clans, using earthen berms to block vehicle passage, with the exception of ambulances. Despite the renewed fighting in the countryside, the city of Sweida itself remains under the control of local armed Druze men after clan fighters withdrew from several areas.
The renewed violence comes after a week of intense and brutal fighting that has exacted a staggering human toll. According to a separate report from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Sunday, more than 1,000 people have been killed in the week of intense violence, which has involved Druze fighters, Bedouin rivals, government forces, armed tribal groups, and Israeli strikes.
The war monitor provided a devastating breakdown of the casualties. The dead include 336 Druze fighters and 298 civilians from the Druze religious minority. Of the civilians, SOHR reported that 194 were allegedly summarily executed by personnel from Syria’s defense and interior ministries.
The Syrian government also suffered heavy losses, with 342 security personnel reportedly killed in the fighting. An additional 15 Syrian government troops were killed in Israeli airstrikes during the same period, according to the Observatory.
On the other side of the conflict, 21 Sunni Bedouins were also reported killed, including three civilians who SOHR stated were summarily executed by Druze fighters.
This spike in violence marks one of the bloodiest episodes in southern Syria in recent years. In its report, SOHR called the situation "catastrophic" and renewed its call to the international community to take urgent action to ensure the safe arrival of medical and humanitarian aid, stressing the need to separate the humanitarian file from political and military wrangling.
