Amid a dramatic and deadly escalation of violence in southern Syria, Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced early Thursday morning that his government has decided to entrust local Druze factions and religious leaders with maintaining security in the Suweida province. The announcement follows four days of sectarian violence that have left over 350 people dead and sparked regional and international alarm.
In a televised address to the nation, Sharaa stated: “We have decided to assign some local factions and the Mashayekh al-‘Aql [Druze spiritual leaders] with the responsibility of maintaining security in Suweida.” He clarified that the government initially deployed its forces to the province to contain clashes between local Druze militias and armed groups from surrounding areas, triggered by long-standing grievances.
However, Sharaa blamed Israel for derailing the government’s stabilisation efforts through “wide-scale targeting of civilian and government infrastructure,” a move he claimed “complicated the situation significantly.” The Syrian president warned that Damascus could be forced into “open war with the Israeli entity” if such attacks continued.
Sharaa also praised mediation efforts led by the United States, Turkey, and Arab partners, crediting their intervention with preventing a catastrophic outcome in the region. Stressing Syria’s territorial integrity, he firmly stated, “Syria will never be a place for division or fragmentation,” and promised to hold accountable those who committed abuses against the Druze community: “They are under the protection and responsibility of the state.”
Explaining his controversial decision to withdraw government forces from Suweida, Sharaa said it stemmed from “a profound understanding of the threat to our national unity and the need to prevent the country from sliding into another wide-scale war.” He continued: “We faced a difficult choice: an open war with Israel at the expense of our Druze compatriots’ safety and the stability of Syria and the region, or allowing the Druze leadership to regain their composure and prioritise national interest.” Ultimately, he said, the government “chose the path of national unity over chaos and destruction.”
Ceasefire Agreement and Government Withdrawal
Sharaa’s speech came hours after the Syrian government began withdrawing its military and security forces from Suweida, following a ceasefire agreement brokered with the local Druze religious authority, Dar Al-Tawheed. The agreement includes 14 provisions, most notably an immediate cessation of hostilities and the formation of a joint monitoring committee composed of Syrian state representatives and Druze sheikhs.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the death toll since Sunday includes 79 Druze fighters, 55 civilians, 189 government troops, 18 armed members of Bedouin tribes, and at least 15 Syrian soldiers killed in Israeli airstrikes.
On Wednesday night, Israel intensified its attacks, striking key military and government sites, including the General Command building and areas in Suweida and Daraa. Israel warned of further strikes if Syrian forces did not fully withdraw from the majority-Druze province.
Call for Humanitarian Corridors and National Mourning
Following the violence, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, one of the three senior spiritual leaders of the Druze community, issued a public statement declaring Suweida a “disaster zone” and announced general mourning. Hijri condemned the “brutal killing of innocent civilians” and called for humanitarian corridors to be opened toward Jordan and territories held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). He appealed directly to Jordan’s King Abdullah II to open a border crossing with Suweida for humanitarian purposes.
Hijri also urged the Druze community to unite and support grieving families while allowing medical and documentation teams to operate without hindrance. He called for the “cleansing of Suweida from the impurity of terrorists” and requested restraint and dignity during this painful period.
Alarming Reports of Retaliatory Violence and Displacement
Despite the ceasefire, disturbing reports emerged on Thursday of retaliatory violence by local Druze factions against Bedouin communities in the western countryside of Suweida. According to local sources and media reports, dozens of Bedouin families were forcibly displaced under threat of violence. Eyewitnesses described summary killings of civilians, including women and children, and shared graphic footage of bloodied bodies in rural settings.
Human rights activists reported that many Bedouin families were trapped near the town of Shahba, pleading for evacuation and protection. Some fled toward neighbouring Daraa province, taking refuge in mosques and schools in the town of Busra al-Harir, amid widespread power and communications outages in Suweida.
Local Factions Take Control Amid Institutional Collapse
On Thursday morning, local armed groups known collectively as “factions of dignity” assumed control of security in the city and surrounding areas following the withdrawal of state forces. They conducted sweeping operations across the province, asserting authority over areas previously held by the military.
This shift in control coincided with an exodus of Bedouin families from contested areas, raising fears of further sectarian reprisals. Activists warned of a developing humanitarian crisis in need of urgent intervention.
A Precarious Path Forward
In a parallel development, Dar Al-Tawheed issued a separate statement affirming the full reintegration of Suweida into the Syrian state and the reactivation of state institutions. The statement emphasised the importance of justice and equal rights, and outlined plans to establish a fact-finding committee to investigate recent violations and compensate victims. However, it insisted that securing the Damascus–Suweida highway and ensuring citizen safety remained the responsibility of the central government.
As Suweida teeters between autonomy, violence, and reintegration, Syria faces a critical test of its unity, stability, and ability to protect all of its citizens. Whether the temporary withdrawal of state forces and the empowerment of local actors will prevent further escalation—or deepen communal rifts—remains to be seen.
