Druze groups, Syrian forces renew clashes in Sweida Video

A new round of fighting broke out in Syria’s southern Sweida province on November 13 after Druze armed groups and government forces accused each other of violating the ceasefire that ended July’s intense violence. The clashes, which left several wounded but no reported deaths, had largely subsided by November 14.

The National Guard, the de facto military authority in Sweida, said government forces launched an assault on the town of al-Majdal, “employing heavy and medium weapons and attack drones, in an aggressive attempt to breach our defense lines and target vital locations.” It claimed its fighters repelled the attack “inflicting heavy losses on the attacking forces in terms of equipment and personnel, Caliber.Az reports per Al Arabiya. 

Damascus denied this, with Sweida governor Mustafa al-Bakour accusing “some factions and the so-called National Guard” of initiating the violence by launching “attacks on de-escalation points.” He said the actions “constitute a clear violation of international agreements and obstruct efforts to rebuild and prepare for the return of residents to their villages.”

Saber Abou Ras, a political analyst in Sweida city, said the clashes “were very intense and violent,” involving drones, anti-aircraft machine guns, and mortar shells. He added that Israeli warplanes were heard over the city, though it was unclear whether they carried out strikes.

Speaking in London, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani acknowledged “mistakes made by all sides,” calling the crisis “a Syrian wound… an internal problem within the same house.”

The latest violence follows July’s deadly clashes between Druze groups and local Bedouin tribes that escalated when government forces intervened and ultimately sided with the Bedouins. Hundreds of civilians, mostly Druze, were killed, and Israel intervened with strikes on government positions in support of the Druze community.

After a US-brokered ceasefire, government forces withdrew, and Druze factions established a de facto military and administrative authority. Tens of thousands remain displaced, including Druze within Sweida and Bedouins relocated to other regions.

By Sabina Mammadli