Bedouin fighters have withdrawn from the Druze-majority city of Sweida, Interior Minister Anas Khattab announced, according to a report published by Reuters on Sunday. Here’s what we know so far about the aftermath of the violent sectarian clashes in Syria that turned violent and eventually saw Israeli intervention and subsequent announcement of separate ceasefires earlier this week.
Internal security forces stepped in to enforce the ceasefire, “paving the way for a prisoner exchange and the gradual return of stability,” Khattab said, per the AP.
Heavy Toll, Struggling Residents
- Hundreds have reportedly died in the clashes. The Syrian Network for Human Rights has said the toll stood at 321 killed since July 13, including civilians, fighters and security forces.
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, reported a higher toll of around 940 deaths.
- A local dentist told Reuters that the hospitals “are a disaster and out of service, and there are still so many dead and wounded.”
Basic Services in Shambles
- Hospitals are overwhelmed or completely shut down due to the lack of water, electricity, and essential aid.
- Residents say ambulances are barely functioning, with dead bodies left unattended in many areas.
Aid Faces Roadblocks, Red Crescent Enters
- A government-run aid convoy was turned back by local factions refusing entry.
- The Syrian Red Crescent was allowed into the city and delivered supplies under tight conditions.
International Pressure Builds
- US envoy Tom Barrack posted on X, “All factions must immediately lay down their arms, cease hostilities, and abandon cycles of tribal vengeance.”
- Israel launched airstrikes on Syrian government positions in support of the Druze but the US did not back those strikes.
- Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu later agreed to allow limited Syrian troop access to the Sweida region for two days.
Tribes, Officials Face Accountability
- President Ahmed al-Sharaa promised to “protect the rights of Druze and hold to account those who committed violations against our Druze people,” blaming “outlaw groups.”
- Reports suggest he is also reviewing a report into March’s coastal region violence, where Syrian forces allegedly killed 1,500 Alawites.
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