21 killed, dozens wounded in Bedouin-Druze clashes in Sweida
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Armed clashes break out in Sweida between Druze factions and Bedouin fighters as tensions escalate across al-Maqous.
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A Druze militiaman holds a small rocket launcher during a shooting practice in the southern province of Sweida, Syria, March 4, 2025 (AP)
Syrian sources confirmed that 21 people, including a child, were killed and at least 40 others were injured in clashes between armed Bedouin fighters and military factions from the Druze community in al-Maqous, Sweida, according to a war monitor on Sunday.
Local sources reported that tensions remain high in the al-Maqous neighborhood, where clashes involving medium weapons and mutual shelling are still ongoing, while the fighting has also blocked roads between Sweida and both Qanawat and Atil, cutting off key transit routes in the area.
Local sources also confirmed that armed groups launched an attack on the village of al-Sura al-Kabira, located at the northern entrance of the Sweida governorate, advancing from three different directions.
Later, as the clashes expanded, local Syrian sources revealed that armed men launched attacks with various types of weapons on several villages in the western Sweida countryside, including al-Tira, Lubban, and Jarin.
The sources also revealed that several houses in the village of al-Tira were set on fire.
Calls for cessation of fighting
In light of the escalating violence, Sweida's governor, Mustafa al-Bakour, urged restraint, appealing to all sides to "prioritize calm and respond to calls for national reconciliation."
At the same time, Sheikh Hammoud al-Hinnawi, the spiritual leader of Syria's Druze community, called on all parties to refrain from any actions that could sow division, warning that "the current escalation and retaliatory reactions serve only to benefit those who oppose our unity and security while weakening our social cohesion."
Al-Hinnawi also issued a "special appeal" to Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, urging him to "take decisive action to quell unrest and rein in reckless provocations."
'Hateful hidden sedition'
The Spiritual Leadership of the Druze Unitarian Community in Syria condemned the developments in Sweida, describing them as a "hateful hidden sedition" and demanding accountability for those who instigated them.
"We forbid and condemn aggression in all its forms, but we refuse to remain silent about the repeated violations targeting our people," the leadership stated, asserting that "preventing sedition is an unwavering national and moral duty, and the blood of our children is a red line that should not be taken lightly."
The spiritual leadership called on the Syrian interim government to maintain security and safety on the Damascus-Sweida road and to fend off uncontrolled gangs in the area.
It also urged wisdom and responsibility and to stand united to reject chaos and divisive schemes, calling on all parties to cease hostilities and cease fire for the sake of everyone and for civil peace.
The spiritual leadership of the Druze in Syria emphasized "the legitimate right to defend ourselves, our land, and our security without being drawn into the fire of strife," noting that "the bonds of civility and nationalism with our tribal kin will not be dissolved, no matter what happens."
Sweida witnesses repeated clashes
Sweida has been the center of much fighting since the toppling of al-Assad's regime. Local Syrian sources reported that armed clashes erupted near Sweida governorate’s border areas at dawn on May 5, pitting unidentified armed factions against forces affiliated with the Sweida Military Council, before a fragile and uneasy calm settled over the region amid lingering tensions.
The sources further reported that tribal forces from Deir Ezzor had dispatched reinforcements to back the armed factions engaged in ongoing military confrontations across the region.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) monitor, the appeal follows violent sectarian clashes involving Syrian security forces, their allied fighters, and local Druze factions that left 17 dead in Jaramana before escalating further with 22 more fatalities in Sahnaya on April 29 as tensions continued to mount across the region.
