The Syrian War

The Battles in Sweida
Druze Live in Fear: “All I Can Do Is Pray”

Druze in the Syrian city of Sweida are living in fear after several days of violent fighting. This is what several relatives of war victims tell the AP.

A woman living in the United Arab Emirates says that during the first days of the fighting she had contact with her family. Her mother, father and sister sent several videos showing how residents fled when soldiers broke into their homes.

Contact with the family was broken when they took shelter in a basement, at the same time her father disappeared.

“Now I just pray, that’s the only thing I can do,” she told the AP at the time.

Hours later, when the news agency gets in touch with her again, she says that her father has been shot dead by a sniper.

Now homes in the city have been looted and the streets are filled with dead civilian bodies.

The fighting began last Sunday between local Bedouin tribes and a Druze militia. Syrian government forces rushed to the city to quell the violence between the parties, but reports claim that they also killed several Druze civilians. 

Fighting in Sweida
Reports: Fighting has begun - forces return

Syrian government forces are preparing to return to Sweida in the southern parts of the country. After leaving the city yesterday, fighting between the Druze and Bedouin has resumed, Al Jazeera reports. The interim government in the country accuses the Druze of being behind the new escalation.

Israel, which has said it wanted to defend the Druze, has previously warned Syria against entering Sweida and has threatened new airstrikes.

The fighting in Syria between the two minority groups started on Sunday and the death toll has since passed 600. Government forces were deployed to quell the violence and after a ceasefire agreement they left the areas. Now they are said to be on their way back again.

Later on Thursday, however, a spokesman for the Syrian Interior Ministry denied that government forces were going to Sweida. 

Druze accused of new attacks – despite ceasefire

The interim government in Syria accuses the Druze of attacking Bedouins after a ceasefire agreement was reached. This is reported by TT, citing the state news agency Sana.

On Wednesday evening, government forces began to withdraw from Sweida, where the worst fighting has taken place. But just over a day later, new reports emerged that Druze had attacked Bedouin communities.

The death toll has risen to 600, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Violence flared up in Sweida in southern Syria on Sunday in connection with fighting between the two minority groups. After that, Syrian government forces were deployed to the city to break the escalation. However, the military is accused of also killing Druze civilians.

The violence in Syria — this has happened

14 July: A large number of people are injured and killed in clashes between armed minority groups in southern Syria.

14 July: Israel attacks targets in the area and warns of intervention to protect Druze in the city of Sweida.

15July: Government forces enter Sweida to quell fighting. A ceasefire is announced, but violence flares up again.

16 July: Israel threatens to escalate attacks if Damascus does not withdraw its troops from Sweida.

16 July: The Israeli military bombs the defense headquarters in Damascus.

16 July: Syrian government forces leave Sweida after an agreement to end the unrest. A new ceasefire is reached.