More than 50 people have died in violent clashes that erupted between Bedouin groups and Druse militias in Sweida, Syria's southern province, according to local health officials and monitoring organizations. These violent confrontations raise serious concerns about the ability of the recently established government under President Ahmed al-Shara to maintain control and foster unity among diverse armed factions since the downfall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December.
The violence began over the weekend, resulting in more than 150 injuries, as reported by a health professional who chose to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the situation. Tragically, among those deceased were at least two children, as confirmed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group based in Britain monitoring the crisis.
In response to the unrest, the Syrian government called for calm and dispatched military units to swiftly address the conflict. The Defense Ministry stated that troops were sent to ensure safe routes for civilians wishing to evacuate the area. However, the conflict escalated tragically, leading to the deaths of 18 soldiers tasked with restoring order, according to a defense source who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak on military matters publicly.
