Clashes in As Suwayda Between Druze Fighters, Bedouin Tribes Kill 37, Prompting Syrian Government Crackdown
[As Suwayda, Syria] Fierce fighting between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribal groups in southern Syria has left at least 37 people dead and more than 100 injured, marking the deadliest outbreak of sectarian violence in As Suwayda province in years. The clashes erupted early Monday in the Al-Muqous neighborhood on the eastern edge of As Suwayda city and have since spread to surrounding areas, prompting Syrian authorities to deploy security forces and shut down the main highway between Damascus and As Suwayda.
The violence, which included mutual shelling and sniper fire, was triggered by a cycle of kidnappings that began with the abduction of a Druze merchant on the highway between the two cities. In response, armed Druze fighters attacked Bedouin groups suspected of involvement, setting off gun battles that quickly escalated. According to field sources, 25 of the dead were Druze and 10 were Bedouin, though the toll is expected to rise as fighting continues.
The Syrian Ministry of Interior called the situation a “dangerous escalation” and pledged to restore stability and pursue those responsible. “The state will not stand idly by while citizens’ lives and safety are under threat,” a senior ministry official told The Media Line. “Any use of weapons outside state authority will be met with firmness and zero tolerance.”
As Suwayda Governor Mustafa al-Bakour called for calm and praised local mediation efforts. Several Druze religious leaders have also appealed to the transitional government in Damascus to intervene. President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who replaced Bashar Assad after his ouster in December, has faced increasing pressure to stabilize restive regions and rebuild trust among Syria’s fragmented communities.
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Eyewitness Raed al-Ali, speaking to The Media Line from Al-Muqous, described the situation as dire. “We woke up at dawn to the sounds of gunfire and explosions. The streets were nearly deserted. I saw ambulances rushing the injured under heavy fire from my balcony,” he said. “The situation is terrifying and unprecedented.”
The Syrian Arab News Agency reported that security forces had deployed along the As Suwayda-Daraa border, and the Education Ministry postponed Monday’s religious education exam for high school students in the province. Shops and schools have remained closed, and many residents are sheltering in their homes, fearing renewed fighting.
The recent violence follows months of mounting tension and sporadic clashes between Druze and Sunni communities in the region. After Assad’s ouster, the power vacuum left minority communities like the Druze vulnerable, prompting many to arm themselves and form local defense units. In April and May, fighting in As Suwayda and nearby areas killed dozens and drew international attention when it threatened to spread toward Damascus and across the Israeli border.
Temporary truces brokered in the spring between Druze leaders and the transitional government had offered a fragile calm. But the current escalation is the first time that major fighting has reached As Suwayda’s city center, raising fears of a deeper unraveling of order in the province, which is home to roughly 700,000 people.
Government officials say the inability of local institutions to maintain control has worsened the crisis. In a statement, the interior ministry said the absence of effective official oversight had “exacerbated the state of chaos, the deterioration of the security situation, and the inability of the local community to contain the situation despite repeated calls for calm.”
Meanwhile, humanitarian concerns are growing. Emergency services have struggled to reach some of the wounded due to ongoing crossfire. Video footage circulating online shows plumes of smoke rising over neighborhoods and families fleeing on foot. The Red Crescent and local charities have appealed for safe corridors to evacuate civilians.
While the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the casualty numbers, it also reported that Bedouin fighters had attacked Druze-populated villages outside the city, adding to fears of widening sectarian retribution. With government convoys now reinforcing checkpoints across As Suwayda, residents brace for more violence in the coming days.
