Monday, 25 May 2026
Syria's interior ministry said security forces were deployed to try to restore calm - AFP
At least 30 killed in deadly clashes between Druze and Bedouin in Syria
Violent confrontations between Sunni Bedouin tribal fighters and Druze militias in southern Syria have left at least 30 people dead, according to the country’s interior ministry.
The unrest broke out on Sunday in a predominantly Druze city within the province of Suweida, following the reported abduction of a Druze merchant on the Damascus highway two days earlier, BBC reported.
Describing the situation as “a dangerous escalation,” the interior ministry announced the deployment of security forces in an attempt to restore order.
This incident marks the most recent surge of lethal sectarian conflict in Syria since Islamist-led rebel factions ousted President Bashar al-Assad from power in December.
Syria’s diverse minority groups—including the Druze, who follow a distinct faith derived from Shia Islam—have voiced anxiety about the assurances given by the new leadership regarding their protection.
The fighting began Sunday in Suweida city’s al-Maqwas neighborhood, an area inhabited by Bedouin communities, which was reportedly surrounded and later overtaken by armed Druze fighters.
Hostilities quickly spread across Suweida province. Bedouin tribesmen were said to have launched attacks against Druze towns and villages situated on the western and northern peripheries of the city.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the towns of Sumay and Mazraah came under shelling, while armed men entered the outskirts of the village of Tayrah, causing residents to flee and setting several homes ablaze.
SOHR reported 37 fatalities: 27 Druze—including two children—and 10 Bedouin.
The interior ministry stated, “This dangerous escalation has developed amid a lack of effective official institutions, fueling chaos, worsening security, and overwhelming the local community’s efforts to defuse the crisis despite repeated appeals for restraint.”
The ministry added that, alongside the defense ministry, it would “initiate direct intervention to quell the conflict and reestablish order in the area.”
The governor of Suweida, Mustapha al-Bakur, urged residents to “remain calm and answer the nation’s call for reform.”
Several spiritual leaders of the Syrian Druze also called for an end to the violence.
On Sunday night, activist-run local outlet Suwayda 24 reported that mediation between Bedouin and Druze leaders had led to the release of abducted individuals from both sides in an effort to defuse tensions.
Nevertheless, on Monday morning, Suwayda 24 reported renewed clashes in Suweida’s western countryside after drones struck villages, coinciding with the deployment of government troops in neighboring areas of eastern Deraa province.