Fresh violence erupted in Syria’s already volatile southern Sweida province on Sunday as armed groups launched attacks on internal security forces, killing one officer and injuring others, according to state-run Ekhbariya TV, citing a security source. The attackers also reportedly fired shells at nearby villages, reigniting tensions in the already fragile region.
A Fragile Truce, Now Broken
The recent fighting in Sweida had calmed after a US-brokered truce brought a temporary halt to days of violence in mid-July. But Sunday’s attacks have raised fears of a resurgence of conflict in the Druze-majority region.
According to the Ekhbariya TV report, the attackers were part of armed factions who had earlier agreed to the ceasefire.
July Clashes Left Deep Scars
The July 13 clashes, reports suggest, were one of the bloodiest the region has witnessed in years, involving tribal fighters and Druze factions. Syrian government forces were deployed to try to stop the fighting but reportedly failed to contain the violence.
In the meantime, Israel launched airstrikes on Syrian forces, stating it was doing so to defend the Druze community.
The Druze minority within Islam has traditionally lived in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Although Sweida is largely Druze-dominated, it also has Sunni tribes, and relations between the two — frequently over land and resources — have long been strained.
Pressure Mounts on Interim President
The violence last month was an early test for caretaker President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who assumed office after the political backlash from earlier sectarian fighting in March killed hundreds of Alawite Syrian civilians in the country’s coastal regions.
For the Sweida violence, the Syrian regime had vowed to look into the clashes and established a committee to investigate the attacks.
Analysts, on the other hand, have doubted interim government’s capacity to restore order and avoid a complete backslide into fighting in Sweida and surrounding areas.
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