Sectarian clashes threaten Syria’s transition

Clashes between Bedouin tribes, government forces, and Druze militias have left nearly 250 people dead, once again raising fears of a breakdown in Syria’s fragile postwar order

SYRIA
Enlarged map

Heavy fighting reported in Suweida and nearby villages

Suweida Province: Heartland of Druze, who practise offshoot of Shia Islam and remain wary of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa despite his pledges to protect them

Government led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)
Opposition groups
Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

Suweida
Daraa
SUWEIDA PROVINCE
DARAA PROVINCE
Golan Heights (Israeli-occupied)
WEST BANK
LEBANON
ISRAEL
JORDAN
Damascus
20km
12 miles
SYRIA

Jul 11: Robbery and abduction of Druze merchant on highway to Damascus sparks clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze militias in Suweida Province

Jul 13: Druze fighters seize al-Maqwas neighbourhood of Suweida, which is inhabited by Bedouin, as clashes spread into other parts of province

Jul 14: Syrian government deploys military to quell conflict. Druze militia, believing that government forces are coming to aid Bedouins, clash with them

Jul 14-16: Israel launches strikes against government troops in Suweida and Syrian Defence Ministry in Damascus with declared aim of protecting Druze from harm

Sources: Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), Reuters, BBC, AP, ISW
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