Clashes in Syria's Suwayda leave over 400 dead as conflict escalates

The death toll from recent clashes in Syria’s southern Suwayda province has surged to 426, says a report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR).

The fighting, which erupted on July 13, has inflicted heavy casualties on both civilians and combatants, forcing many families to flee amid the violence, Caliber.Az reports per Turkish media.

The clashes broke out between an alliance of Bedouin Arab and tribal forces and factions within the Druze community, resulting in a rapidly escalating conflict over the course of just one week. SNHR detailed that the fatalities include seven children, 10 women, six healthcare workers, and two media professionals, underscoring the severe human cost of the hostilities.

Earlier estimates from SNHR documented at least 321 deaths and over 436 injuries between July 13 and 18, highlighting the intensity of the confrontations. The initial outbreak involved armed skirmishes between Bedouin Arab groups and Druze militias, compounded when Syrian security forces sent to intervene were ambushed soon after arriving.

Despite mediation efforts by the Syrian government and external actors, a fragile ceasefire was short-lived, as Druze forces affiliated with the Hikmat al-Hijri militia subsequently broke the truce. The conflict further deteriorated on July 16 when Israeli military strikes targeted locations near the Syrian presidential palace, General Staff headquarters, and the Defense Ministry, exacerbating the instability in the region.

Following Syrian troop withdrawals from Suwayda, Hikmat al-Hijri militants reportedly launched forced displacements and executions against Bedouin families. In response, thousands of tribal fighters arrived from neighboring regions to bolster the Bedouin Arab side. By July 19, the Syrian government redeployed forces to Suwayda and managed the withdrawal of Bedouin and tribal fighters from the city.

While the SNHR provides the most recent death toll, observers caution that the actual number of casualties—among both armed factions and civilians—may be substantially higher due to the chaotic nature of the conflict and difficulties in accurate reporting. The ongoing violence in Suwayda continues to threaten regional stability and inflicts profound suffering on the civilian population.

By Vafa Guliyeva