Newsletters
A Syrian security officer was killed and several others wounded Sunday when armed groups loyal to Druze leader Hikmet al-Hajri violated a cease-fire in the southern province of Sweida, state media and a war monitor reported.
According to the state-run SANA news agency, outlaw groups aligned with al-Hajri attacked the village of Tal Hadid in the Sweida countryside using heavy and medium weapons and mortar shells. A member of the Internal Security Forces was killed, and several others were injured in the assault, the report said.
According to AFP Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least four others died in clashes in Sweida, including three security personnel and one local fighter, as fighting erupted between Syrian government forces and local factions around Tal Hadid.
Syria’s Interior Ministry confirmed that "a number of security personnel were killed and injured" in violations of the cease-fire, without providing an exact toll. In a statement, the ministry reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the truce and restoring stability across the province.
“Rebel gangs, meanwhile, continue to attempt to drag the province into tension and chaos, driven by personal motives on the part of their leaders, through the theft of relief aid and internal fighting,” the ministry said. “These groups also use breaches of truce agreements to cover up their abusive practices, including unlawful arrests inside the city.”
SANA, citing a security source, said government forces regained control of positions seized by militias loyal to al-Hajri in Tal Hadid, Rimat Hazem, and Walgha in the Sweida countryside. Internal Security Forces have since secured the area and halted active clashes to preserve the cease-fire.
The attack occurred amid ongoing efforts by the Syrian government to evacuate civilians from Sweida to safer areas, primarily in neighboring Daraa province.
1 min read
A cease-fire has been in effect in Sweida since July 19 following a week of intense clashes between Druze factions and Bedouin tribes that left 426 people dead, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights.
The violence is unfolding as Syria’s transitional administration — formed after the ouster of longtime regime leader Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8, 2024 — works to stabilize the country and move beyond decades of authoritarian rule.
1 min read
