Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra on Tuesday proclaimed a “complete cease-fire” in the southern city of Suwayda, capping three days of ferocious fighting between Druze militias and Bedouin tribal fighters that left more than 100 people dead. The announcement, reached “in agreement with community leaders and dignitaries,” orders government troops to fire only in self-defence and paves the way for the army’s withdrawal from the volatile provincial capital.
Troop Pullback and Curfew
By mid-afternoon, army units had begun removing tanks and artillery from key intersections and handing over checkpoints to the Interior Ministry’s Internal Security Forces. Military-police detachments fanned out to “monitor conduct and hold violators accountable,” the Defence Ministry said. Suwayda’s police chief, Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Dalati imposed an open-ended city-wide curfew, urging residents to stay indoors “until stability is fully restored.”
The Toll and the Trigger
Fighting erupted late Sunday after a series of tit-for-tat kidnappings spiralled into street battles that engulfed Suwayda’s eastern quarters. Local medics say at least 102 people—civilians, tribal gunmen, and security personnel—were killed; dozens more were wounded when mortars and drones were deployed inside residential neighbourhoods. One especially grisly incident on Tuesday afternoon saw 15 members of the same family gunned down in their guesthouse by an unidentified armed group, sparking fresh panic and a wave of displacement toward rural villages.
Druze Leadership Splits, Government Steps In
The influential Druze clergy initially resisted any military deployment, insisting local factions could police the city themselves. Yet as casualties mounted, the community’s higher religious council reversed course and urged fighters to cooperate with state forces and give up heavy weapons—only for prominent cleric Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri to accuse Damascus of coercion and call for continued armed “self-protection.”
Israeli Strike Complicates the Battlefield
Hours before the truce took hold, Israeli jets struck a retreating Syrian armoured column on Suwayda’s outskirts, destroying several tanks and troop carriers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the raid was authorised “to prevent another massacre of the Druze minority,” which Israel views as a potential ally. Damascus condemned the incursion as “naked aggression,” while Israeli officials insisted it would not derail ongoing indirect security talks with Syria in Baku.
What Comes Next?
Government spokesmen say army units will complete their pullback “within 48 hours,” after which internal security forces will conduct door-to-door searches for illegal arms. Community mediators are expected to form local reconciliation committees, though distrust remains high: Bedouin tribal elders accuse Druze fighters of blocking grazing routes, while Druze militias cite years of unchecked highway banditry.
Photo: The Syrian Observer