SWEIDA – Deadly violence has broken out in southern Syria’s Suweida province, where fierce clashes between Druze and Bedouin tribes have left at least 30 people dead and over 200 injured, according to local sources and rights groups.
The fighting reportedly began after a Druze trader was kidnapped on the highway to Damascus. In retaliation, armed Druze groups stormed a Bedouin-majority neighbourhood in Suweida, triggering hours of armed conflict and a wave of revenge attacks.
Local reports say homes were set on fire, villages shelled, and over a hundred families forced to flee. The Syrian Interior Ministry has deployed additional security forces, but violence continues in parts of the western region.
This is the worst sectarian violence seen in the area since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad late last year. The Druze community, a religious minority in Syria, has long feared instability and targeted attacks under the post-war power vacuum.
Authorities have warned of further bloodshed if the situation is not brought under control, while religious leaders are urging restraint to avoid deeper divisions.
This story has been reported by PakTribune. All rights reserved.
