US Edition
Key Players in Syria’s Latest Eruption of Violence, From the Druze and Bedouin to Government Forces
SOUTHERN SYRIA, JUL 17 – Israel conducted airstrikes targeting Syrian military assets to protect Druze communities amid sectarian clashes that killed over 300 people, officials said.
- Amid deadly sectarian clashes in Suwayda, Israeli forces expanded airstrikes on Syrian military targets, including the Syrian Ministry of Defense headquarters in Damascus, to protect Druze communities.
- A Bedouin tribe set up a checkpoint, attacked and robbed a Druze man, triggering tit-for-tat raids and kidnappings, according to SOHR, highlighting sectarian tensions and government strain.
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights recorded the death toll: 69 Druze fighters, 40 civilians , 165 government troops, 18 Bedouin fighters and 10 soldiers, highlighting ongoing casualties amid scattered violence.
- Very worried about the violence, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, adding Washington was in constant talks to deescalate, as Israel said it acted to protect the Druze in Suwayda.
- The escalation could further sideline deescalation talks between Syria and Israel, Syria acknowledged U.S. and Arab state diplomatic efforts, and Turkey joined mediation over Sweida.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Death toll from south Syria violence rises to 594: monitor
At least 594 people have been killed in southern Syria's Sweida province, a war monitor said Thursday. 300 Druze are among the dead, including 154 civilians, of whom 83 "who were summarily executed by members of the defence and interior ministries". FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks to Radwan Ziadeh, Executive Director of the Syrian Centre for Political and Strategic Studies.
Associated Press News
Key players in Syria's latest eruption of violence, from the Druze and Bedouin to government forces
Clashes that shook southern Syria this week have killed hundreds of people, including civilians, and drawn in an array of both local and international players, harking back to the dynamics of the country’s nearly 14-year civil war.
The city of Suwayda in southern Syria has been the scene of bloody clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes in recent days, which were later joined by Islamist forces loyal to the government of Syrian President Ahmad Shaara. The subsequent escalation of violence has left dozens dead and dozens more injured, prompting the Syrian army to intervene directly in the region - and Israel to respond. The Israeli army immediately began airstrike…
Israel, which has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since 1967 and has annexed a part of them, has reiterated in recent days that it would not tolerate the presence of the security forces... Read more
Israel intends to militarily enforce the protection of the Druze minority in Syria and the “demilitarization” of the area south of Damascus, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. On Thursday, Bedouin fighters in southern Syria renewed their offensive against the Druze, a Bedouin commander told Reuters. This is despite an announced ceasefire and the withdrawal of Syrian government troops from the area. According to AFP, Israeli aircraft also ca…
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