According to the Interior Ministry, Syrian security forces are coming back to the volatile southern area in response to requests from local communities amid growing tribal war in Syria’s Suwayda province. This action follows soon after the truce between Druze and Bedouin groups broke and fighting started once again.
Reports show that some Bedouin warriors taken from beyond Suwayda resumed their offensive late Thursday, causing Damascus to reevaluate its earlier exit from the region. Hundreds of people have died in the fight, which also threatens further instability following Syria’s political transformation after the removal of Bashar al-Assad.
Israeli forces targeted a convoy of Bedouin fighters on the Palmyra-Homs route, purportedly headed to Suwayda, just as tensions reached their pinnacle. This builds on prior Israeli air strikes close to the defense ministry and the presidential palace. Israeli sources cited the defense of Druze communities as the justification; nevertheless, experts have expressed doubts about the political motives behind these actions.
The source of the conflict is years-old strife between Druze and Bedouin groups that has flared since the Assad government fell. Despite the most recent ceasefire attempt, the situation is still unstable; Israel has cautioned against the Syrian government’s return to the south. According to a Bedouin commander, the truce was intended only for Syrian government soldiers, not for their own fighters who seek to release Druze-held prisoners.
Reacting to the bloodshed, Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa promised local leaders would be accountable for security in Suwayda, therefore reducing religious conflict and discouraging extra Israeli incursions. One of the Druze community’s spiritual leaders, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, condemned acts of violence undertaken in the name of the community, rejected sectarianism, and confirmed accountability for any peace infractions.
Global responses came swiftly after. Qatar’s Emir criticized Israel’s attacks as violations of sovereignty and international law, but Turkish President Erdogan raised alarm about efforts to undermine the territorial integrity of Syria. Direct contacts from both leaders to al-Sharaa expressed support for Syrian unity.
At the same time, the United States kept distance from Israel’s military operations. Notwithstanding the long-standing friendship between the two allies, a State Department spokeswoman said the U.S. is diplomatically engaging with both countries and stated it does not endorse the recent Israeli attacks.
The quick deployment of Syrian forces, together with increasing local condemnations and a weak truce, underlines a crucial point in Syria’s post-war recovery—one now further compounded by outside military interference and growing tribal unrest in the south.
