Syria deploys forces after dozens killed in Bedouin-Druze clashes

DAMASCUS

Syrian government security forces gather on the outskirts of Sweida province where clashes erupted between Druze militias and Sunni Bedouin clans, southern Syria, Monday, July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Malek Khattab)

Syria deployed security forces on July 14 in the southern province of Sweida after at least 30 people were killed in clashes between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters.

The fighting, which began on July 13, continued sporadically into July 14 in several villages, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor and the Suwayda 24 news outlet.

The Interior Ministry said more than 30 people died and nearly 100 others have been injured, while the U.K.-based war monitor reported at least 89 dead.

The clashes reportedly erupted when a Druze vegetable vendor was seized by armed Bedouins on the main highway linking Sweida to Damascus.

The incident triggered a series of retaliatory abductions by both sides, with those abducted released July 13 night.

The monitor raised its death toll to 50, including 34 Druze, among them two children, 10 Bedouins and six members of the security forces.

Syria's defense and interior ministries announced the deployment of military units to the affected areas, the establishment of safe corridors for civilians and a commitment to "end the clashes quickly and decisively.”

"The lack of state, military and security institutions is a major reason for the ongoing tensions in Sweida," Interior Minister Anas Khattab said on X.

"The only solution is to reactivate these institutions to ensure civil peace," he added.

The latest unrest follows deadly violence in April and May, when clashes between Druze fighters and security forces in Druze-populated areas near Damascus and Sweida killed more than 100 people.

The Observatory said members of Bedouin tribes, who are Sunni Muslim, had sided with security forces during earlier confrontations.

Local leaders and religious figures brokered agreements at the time to de-escalate the tensions, putting Druze fighters in charge of local security in Sweida since May, though armed Bedouins remain present in several areas.

On July 13, Sweida governor Mustapha al-Bakur urged his constituents to "exercise self-restraint,” while Druze community leaders urged authorities to step in.

In response to the violence, the Education Ministry announced the postponement of the scheduled secondary school exams in the province.