Syria's southern Suwayda province, home to the country's Druze minority, is experiencing a dangerous escalation of violence as clashes between government forces and local factions intensify, while Jordanian airstrikes target drug smuggling networks in the region.
According to Enab Baladi, four people were killed in clashes between Syrian Interior Ministry forces and Suwayda factions at dawn on Tuesday, December 23. The dead included two members of the Internal Security apparatus affiliated with the Ministry of Interior, one fighter from the National Guard faction loyal to Druze spiritual leader Hikmat al-Hijri, and one civilian. Eight others were wounded in the violence.
The two sides offered conflicting accounts of who initiated the hostilities. Qutaiba Azzam, Director of Public Relations in Suwayda province, told Enab Baladi that local factions first violated a standing agreement by targeting Internal Security forces with a drone, killing two personnel.
However, local civilian sources disputed the government's version of events, claiming that Internal Security forces had shelled the town of Atil with random mortar fire, killing a National Guard member and a civilian before local factions launched a "retaliatory" attack on government positions in the village of Rima Hazem.
The National Guard issued a statement accusing government forces of targeting civilians with mortar shells, heavy machine guns, and drones fired from the villages of Rima Hazem and al-Mansoura, causing the casualties in Atil.
This latest violence follows earlier clashes on December 15, when fighting between local factions and Internal Security forces continued until late at night in Suwayda's western countryside.
The broader crisis in Suwayda began on July 12, sparked by reciprocal kidnappings between Bedouin residents and members of the Druze community. The Syrian government's intervention on July 14 was accompanied by alleged violations against Druze civilians, prompting local factions—including some that had previously cooperated with government ministries—to respond militarily.
Adding to the region's instability, the Jordanian military conducted airstrikes on December 24, targeting drug and arms smuggling networks operating in Suwayda's countryside. The Jordanian army announced it had "neutralized" several traffickers and destroyed factories and workshops used as launching points for smuggling operations toward Jordanian territory.
According to the local Suwayda 24 network, seven Jordanian airstrikes hit drug storage warehouses in the villages of al-Shaab and Umm Shama, as well as farms in Dhibin, Umm al-Rumman, al-Ghariyah, and Khirbet Awwad. The strikes also targeted a farm belonging to Imad Oloum, described as a well-known drug trafficker.
The Suwayda Press reported that Jordanian strikes hit homes belonging to members of the al-Ramthan clan, accused of trafficking drugs between Syria and Jordan.
Jordan has stepped up efforts to combat smuggling along its northern border. On December 13, the Jordanian army foiled a drug smuggling attempt from Suwayda's southern countryside following an armed clash with smugglers.
With internal factional fighting, government-civilian tensions, and cross-border security operations converging in Suwayda, Syria's Druze community faces an increasingly precarious situation as the new year approaches.
Photo: Enab Baladi