Syrian defence authorities announce ceasefire in Sweida following days of bloody confrontation

Damascus, July 15 (IANS) Syrian defence authorities on Tuesday declared a complete ceasefire in the southern province of Sweida following days of deadly clashes between local Druze armed factions, Bedouin tribes, and government forces, according to the defence authorities' chief Murhaf Abu Qasra.

On July 14, at least 89 people were reportedly killed and some 200 others injured in escalating clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes in southern Syria's Sweida province, Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Meanwhile, the Syrian defence authority, in a statement carried by the state-run SANA news agency, put the death toll at more than 30 and the injuries at some 100.

The violence was caused by an absence of institutional control hindering security intervention, and specialized military units have been deployed to separate warring factions and secure civilian evacuation routes, read the statement.

The defence authority urged restraint, warned that continued fighting would only deepen civilian suffering, and affirmed commitment to restoring stability through coordinated operations with interior forces

Despite mediation, heavy fighting persisted on July 14 with loud explosions reported across western rural Sweida, Xinhua news agency reported.

A source from "Rijal al-Karama," Sweida's largest armed group, told that a prisoner exchange is expected to take place on July 14 between Bedouin tribes in the al-Muqawwas neighbourhood and local factions in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.

Bedouins reportedly abducted 11 Druze civilians from Sweida, while local armed factions took five Bedouin civilians in retaliation.

The root of the conflict lies in an earlier incident in which a young Druze man was assaulted and robbed by armed Bedouins at a temporary checkpoint near al-Masmiyah. In retaliation, local Druze fighters detained several Bedouin members, escalating the situation.

On July 12, heavy gunfire and the sound of shelling echoed through the city, forcing many residents indoors and prompting urgent calls from community leaders for intervention to de-escalate the situation.

Recurring incidents of kidnapping and armed assault have plagued the vital road linking Sweida to Damascus in recent months. Locals blame the deteriorating security situation and the absence of state control over armed factions for the violence.

--IANS

int/bpd/as