At least 37 people were killed in fierce clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze communities in southern Syria, as longstanding tensions erupted once again in the city of Suweida, reported by AFP. Among the dead were 27 Druze, including two children, and 10 Bedouins, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Local outlet Suweida 24 initially reported a smaller toll of ten, warning that the number was likely to rise. More than 50 others were wounded in the violence, which led to the closure of the main road linking Suweida and the capital, Damascus.
In response to the outbreak, Syrian authorities deployed security forces to the volatile border region between the provinces of Daraa and Suweida. State news agency SANA confirmed the movement of troops, while Suweida’s governor, Mustafa al-Bakur, called for calm. Prominent Druze religious leaders echoed the plea for restraint and urged the government in Damascus to take decisive action.
The violence is the latest chapter in a history of conflict between the Bedouin and Druze populations in the area. Earlier this year, dozens were killed in confrontations between Druze factions and backers of Syria’s new Islamist-led government. Since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad, concerns have deepened over the safety and civil rights of religious minorities across the country.
Once home to about 700,000 Druze before the civil war began in 2011, Syria’s Druze population remains concentrated in Suweida province. The Druze, a religious minority that emerged from Islam in the 11th century, make up around three percent of Syria’s population and also have significant communities in Lebanon, Israel, and the Golan Heights.
