Syria confirms Suwayda cleared of tribal fighters, clashes halted in city

On July 19, the Syrian Interior Ministry announced that the city of Suwayda had been cleared of tribal fighters and that clashes had been halted.

“Following intensive efforts by the Ministry of Interior to implement the ceasefire agreement — after the deployment of its forces in the northern and western areas of Suwayda province — the city of Suwayda has been cleared of all tribal fighters, and clashes within the city’s neighborhoods have been brought to a halt,” said ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba, Caliber.Az reports, citing Syrian media.

The Syrian presidency announced a comprehensive and immediate ceasefire in Suwayda following days of unrest in the southern province.

Clashes broke out July 13 between Bedouin Arab tribes and armed Druze groups in Suwayda. Violence escalated and Israeli airstrikes followed, including on Syrian military positions and infrastructure in Damascus. Israel cited the need to protect Druze communities as a pretext for its attacks.

Most Druze leaders in Syria, however, have publicly rejected any foreign interference and reaffirmed their commitment to a unified Syrian state.

Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December, Israel intensified its air campaign in Syria and declared a buffer zone between the two countries defunct, alongside the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

A new transitional administration led by Sharaa was formed in Syria in January.

By Khagan Isayev