Fragile Calm Returns to Syria’s Sweida as Bedouins Withdraw Following Weeklong Clashes
Fragile Calm Returns to Syria’s Sweida as Bedouins Withdraw Following Weeklong Clashes
MAZRAA, Syria – A cautious calm has descended upon Sweida, the Druze-majority city in southern Syria, after armed Bedouin clans announced their withdrawal on Sunday, July 20, following a week of intense fighting and a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The clashes, which pitted Druze militias against Sunni Muslim clans, resulted in hundreds of casualties and threatened to destabilize Syria’s already precarious postwar transition.
The withdrawal, confirmed by the Bedouin clans, paves the way for humanitarian aid. The Syrian Red Crescent dispatched 32 trucks loaded with essential supplies including food, medicine, water, and fuel to the province, which has suffered severe power cuts and shortages due to the conflict. Syria’s state news agency SANA reported the convoy’s entry on Sunday.
The weeklong violence, sparked by tit-for-tat kidnappings, escalated to involve targeted sectarian attacks and revenge assaults. Government forces had briefly redeployed to halt renewed fighting before withdrawing again. Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, perceived as sympathetic to the Bedouins, had urged their withdrawal, stating they “cannot replace the role of the state in handling the country’s affairs and restoring security.”
Despite the withdrawal, dozens of Bedouin fighters remain on the city’s outskirts, cordoned off by government security forces. They demand the surrender of Druze factions loyal to spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, whom they accuse of inciting sedition. Al-Hijri, while welcoming aid, has denied accusations of turning back a government delegation and affirmed his commitment to inter-communal peace.
The U.N. International Organization for Migration reported 128,571 people displaced by the clashes, with 43,000 fleeing on Saturday alone. Washington’s special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, emphasized the critical need for all factions to cease hostilities and abandon cycles of tribal vengeance, stressing that “peace and dialogue must prevail.” The recent sectarian attacks have deepened skepticism among many Druze regarding Damascus’s new leadership and the prospects for peaceful coexistence.
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