At least 18 people have been killed and around 50 others wounded in fierce clashes between the local Druze community and Bedouin tribes in Syria’s southern province of Sweida on Sunday, according to local media and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
The SOHR reported that the fatalities include 14 members of the Druze community and four Bedouin tribesmen. Among the injured are several children, with some individuals in critical condition.
The violence escalated in multiple areas of Sweida, particularly in the eastern al-Muqawwas neighborhood, where heavy gunfire and shelling were reported. The clashes later spread to the western and northern countryside, including near the village of al-Tayra, where a Druze man was killed.
Further confrontations erupted when the village of Lbeen came under attack from the west, leading to armed exchanges. In the northern countryside, Bedouin gunmen attacked police checkpoints near the village of al-Sura al-Kabira, triggering fierce clashes with security forces. Mortar shells fired by the attackers landed near the village as they attempted to advance toward the checkpoint.
Reinforcements from the neighboring Daraa province were reportedly deployed on Sunday by armed groups supporting the Bedouin tribes. Dozens of fighters from the Houran region arrived in vehicles to bolster their affiliates in Sweida’s western and northern areas.
The SOHR warned of a potential further escalation in the coming hours following the deadly attacks earlier in the day. Tensions have continued to mount, especially after the closure of the Damascus-Sweida highway at the al-Masmiyah checkpoint and several other points, including near the town of Burraq in rural Damascus.
The root of the conflict lies in an earlier incident where a young Druze man was assaulted and robbed by armed Bedouins at a temporary checkpoint near al-Masmiyah. In retaliation, local Druze fighters detained several members of the Bedouin community, escalating the situation.
With no official intervention announced yet, local community leaders are attempting to mediate and negotiate the release of detainees from both sides. Residents remain on high alert amid growing concerns about further violence.
