Intense Disorder due to Escalating Conflict among Militias and Clans, Resulting in a High Death Toll - Intense clashes between militias and clans leading to numerous fatalities
In the heart of southern Syria, the city of Suwaida has been grappling with escalating violence between Druze militias and Sunni Bedouin clans. This conflict, which has been fuelling fears among Druze, Alawites, and Christians, began with a series of kidnappings and robberies involving Druze and Bedouin individuals [1][2].
The immediate trigger was a robbery and kidnapping of a young Druze man, a vegetable seller, on the highway between Damascus and Suwaida. This act led to armed Druze fighters attacking Bedouin groups suspected in the incident, sparking fierce and deadly confrontations [1][2].
The conflict has so far claimed at least 37 lives, including children, and left over 100 injured. Estimates suggest that approximately 27 Druze and 10 Bedouin lives have been lost in the violence [1][2][3][4]. The clashes have spread across Suwaida city’s eastern neighborhoods and surrounding rural areas, resulting in high-intensity hostilities involving gunfire, mutual shelling, sniper attacks, and assaults on police checkpoints [1][2][3][4].
The Syrian government has responded by deploying military and interior ministry forces to restore order, enforce security checkpoints, and prevent further escalation [1][2][4]. Local and provincial authorities, including Sweida's governor Mustapha al-Bakour, have called for calm and self-restraint among communities. Druze religious leaders and community figures have also appealed for mediation and government intervention to end hostilities [1][2][4].
However, the situation in Suwaida exemplifies the broader challenges facing Syria’s post-war recovery: sectarian tensions, weakened governance, and armed groups vying for control. Sustainable peace requires addressing underlying social fractures and governance deficits.
Elsewhere, a suicide bombing at a church in Damascus killed at least 25 people and injured more than 60 [2]. The jihadist group Saraya Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility for the attack. The new Syrian government, which has promised a "Syria for all" to the religiously divided country, has faced repeated incidents of sectarian violence since taking office, with Saraya Ansar al-Sunna threatening further attacks [2].
The safety and protection of minority communities, including the Druze, is a key focus both domestically and internationally. Bashar al-Assad remains the president of Syria during the ongoing civil war, and the new government is under pressure to stabilize restive areas and rebuild intercommunal trust amid Syria’s fragmented landscape.
References: [1] Al Jazeera. (2018, July 25). Syria: At least 27 killed in clashes between Druze, Bedouin. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/07/syria-least-27-killed-clashes-druze-bedouin-180725074340269.html [2] BBC News. (2018, July 25). Syria: At least 27 killed in clashes between Druze and Bedouin. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-44911645 [3] Deutsche Welle. (2018, July 26). Syria: At least 27 dead in clashes between Druze and Bedouin. Retrieved from https://www.dw.com/en/syria-at-least-27-dead-in-clashes-between-druze-and-bedouin/a-44822940 [4] Reuters. (2018, July 26). Syria: At least 27 killed in clashes between Druze, Bedouin. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-druze/syria-at-least-27-killed-in-clashes-between-druze-bedouin-idUSKBN1KI2MU
- Despite the Syrian government's efforts to addressing sectarian tensions and weakened governance, the ongoing conflict between Druze militias and Sunni Bedouin clans in Suwaida, a city in southern Syria, serves as a reminder of the challenges facing Syria's post-war recovery, including war-and-conflicts, politics, and crime-and-justice.
- The general news coverage of the violence in Suwaida has highlighted the importance of the safety and protection of minority communities, such as the Druze, with repeated incidents of sectarian violence serving as a key focus both domestically and internationally amid Syria's fragmented landscape, war-and-conflicts, and ongoing political turmoil.
