MAZRAA, July 20: Syria’s armed Bedouin clans have withdrawn from the Druze-majority city of Sweida following a week of clashes and a US-brokered ceasefire. The clashes between Druze militias and Sunni Muslim clans killed hundreds and threatened to unravel Syria’s fragile postwar transition. Israel launched dozens of airstrikes in the Druze-majority Sweida province, targeting government forces who had effectively sided with the Bedouins. The clashes also led to targeted sectarian attacks against the Druze community, followed by revenge attacks against the Bedouins. A series of tit-for-tat kidnappings sparked the clashes in various towns and villages in the province, which later spread to the city. Government forces were redeployed to halt renewed fighting that erupted Thursday, before withdrawing again.
Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was more sympathetic to the Bedouins, tried to appeal to the Druze community while remaining critical of the militias. He later urged the Bedouins to leave the city, saying they “cannot replace the role of the state in handling the country’s affairs and restoring security.” The Bedouins’ withdrawal brought a cautious calm to the area, with humanitarian convoys on their way. The Syrian Red Crescent sent 32 trucks loaded with food, medicine, water, fuel, and other aid after the fighting left the province with power cuts and shortages.
The UN International Organisation for Migration reported 1,28,571 people were displaced during the clashes, of which 43,000 on Saturday alone. US envoy Tom Barrack said the clashes and atrocities “overshadowed” an initial cautious optimism about the country’s post-war transition and the international community’s lifting of sanctions. (AP)
