Calm Returns Following Ceasefire in Syria’s Sweida

The fighting stopped in Syria’s southern Sweida province Sunday after a ceasefire between government forces and tribal militias took effect over the weekend, following a week of sectarian violence – the deadliest since the fall of the Assad regime in December – that also saw Israeli strikes on the capital Damascus, Agence France-Presse reported. 

Witnesses and the United Kingdom-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a “cautious calm” had prevailed since midnight Saturday, after a ceasefire announced by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa appeared to take hold.  

Syrian government forces were deployed to enforce the truce and block tribal fighters from entering the city. Local Druze fighters reportedly regained control of Sweida city by Saturday evening, the BBC wrote. 

By Sunday morning, AFP correspondents confirmed no gunfire had been heard and that humanitarian convoys were preparing to enter the city. 

The fighting erupted more than a week ago following the abduction of a Druze merchant by Bedouin tribesmen, which triggered retaliatory attacks among the two communities. 

Syria’s Islamist-led government sent troops to stabilize the situation and enforce a ceasefire in the region. However, the violence continued with witnesses and human rights monitors accusing government forces of siding with Bedouin gunmen and committing abuses, such as summary executions and looting.  

The situation prompted Israel to launch airstrikes on Syrian troops and the country’s capital, citing its obligation to defend the Druze community and enforce a demilitarized buffer zone near its border. 

The Syrian Observatory estimated that at least 1,000 people were killed, including 336 Druze fighters, 298 Druze civilians, 342 government security forces, and 21 Sunni Bedouin. The United Nations said more than 128,000 people were displaced. 

On Sunday, the Syrian Health Ministry announced preparations to deliver aid to Sweida’s main hospital, where bodies reportedly piled up amid severe shortages of medical supplies.  

The recent fighting underscored the ongoing difficulties Syria’s new leaders face as they try to steer a nation devastated by more than 14 years of civil war.  

Al-Sharaa condemned Israel’s intervention and called the violence a “dangerous turning point.” While pledging protection for minorities, he praised Sunni tribesmen who had mobilized – drawing criticism from human rights groups who accused him of legitimizing loyalist militias, the Washington Post noted. 

Many minorities, including the Druze, Alawites, and Kurds, remain deeply suspicious of the Sunni Islamist-led government, which draws much of its force from former rebel and jihadist factions.