First Bedouin tribal families evacuated from Syria’s Suwayda as agreement reached PHOTO

The first batch of Bedouin tribal families detained in Suwayda was evacuated to Daraa on July 21, marking the first operation of its kind in the province.

According to a Syria TV correspondent, around 300 people were transported by bus to the town of Busra al-Harir, located in eastern Daraa countryside. The evacuation was carried out under heavy security, with Internal Security Forces deployed across the area to ensure the safety of civilians and maintain order during the operation, Caliber.Az reports 

Brigadier General Ahmed Al-Dalati, Commander of Internal Security in Suwayda Governorate, and Brigadier General Shaher Omran, his counterpart in Daraa, personally oversaw the operation. Speaking to the media, Brig. Gen. Dalati confirmed that a broader agreement had been reached to allow any civilians wishing to leave Suwayda Governorate to do so voluntarily. He also stressed that the security forces were fully committed to guaranteeing safe passage and preventing further violence in the city.

“A security cordon has been imposed around Suwayda to stabilise the situation and stop any ongoing clashes,” he added.

Ali Al-Rifai, the Public Relations Officer at the Syrian Ministry of Information, stated that preparations were underway to evacuate approximately 1,500 tribal members from the area. The move follows an earlier announcement by Brig. Gen. Dalati that the Syrian government had agreed to release all detained tribal families “within hours.”

Despite official assurances that the evacuation was voluntary, the operation has drawn criticism online. Many activists described it as the first case of forced displacement since the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024. Critics argue that the developments signal a new and potentially destabilising shift in the security dynamics of southern Syria, where tensions remain high between local factions.

Tensions in Suwayda have eased slightly following the withdrawal of tribal fighters and the deployment of government-aligned security forces. A fragile calm now prevails in the city.

Meanwhile, US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack announced that a ceasefire between the warring parties in Suwayda came into effect at 5:00 PM on July 20. He stated that the next step would be a prisoner exchange between the opposing sides, with logistical preparations for the swap currently underway.

By Sabina Mammadli