Syria's interim govt begins phased implementation of ceasefire in Sweida as clashes continue

Damascus, July 19 (IANS) Syrian interim authorities' forces on Saturday began deploying across Sweida province to implement the first phase of a ceasefire agreement aimed at halting days of deadly sectarian clashes, a source at the information authorities said.

The initial phase includes separating rival armed groups, local factions inside Sweida, and tribal Arab forces, as part of broader efforts to restore stability, release detainees, and evacuate hostages.

A government emergency committee has also been established, including multiple public institutions, to expedite the delivery of urgent humanitarian and medical aid, restore basic services, and repair infrastructure in line with the agreement's second phase.

Once calm is secured, the third phase will see the gradual and organized redeployment of state institutions and internal security forces across the province, in accordance with prior understandings that guarantee the rule of law under the state's authority, the source said.

Despite these measures, violence flared again Saturday in western Sweida, where heavy gunfire broke out following a short-lived lull. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the fragile ceasefire had been breached by renewed fighting between Druze armed groups and Bedouin tribal fighters.

The clashes reignited fears of a broader breakdown in the truce, which had been brokered with international support earlier this week, Xinhua news agency reported. According to the observatory, military forces have begun establishing checkpoints outside Sweida's administrative borders to prevent infiltration by armed groups.

The watchdog also reported a deteriorating humanitarian situation. Sweida's main national hospital has been completely incapacitated for days due to power outages, water and medicine shortages, and the collapse of dialysis services. Medical staff have issued an urgent plea, warning of a looming public health disaster.

"Hundreds of unburied corpses are decomposing, worms are spreading, and foul odors fill the facility and nearby streets," read a statement by the hospital's staff, which was addressed to international organizations and media outlets. They called for urgent intervention to prevent "a catastrophic epidemic."

Elsewhere, the last partially functioning medical center in the region, Salkhad Hospital, is reportedly on the verge of closure due to a lack of supplies and logistical support.

Meanwhile, the observatory said that food, fuel, and water shortages are growing more severe, with thousands of families stranded in areas without basic services. Access to humanitarian convoys remains blocked due to ongoing clashes.

The overall death toll since fighting erupted on July 13 has climbed to at least 940, the observatory said, including 406 people from Sweida, among them 80 civilians, and 330 military forces from the defence and interior authorities, including 18 tribal fighters.

Additionally, 15 security personnel were killed in Israeli airstrikes. One journalist was killed in fighting. About 182 people, including 26 women, six children, and one elderly man, were allegedly executed by government forces.

The death toll also includes three Bedouin civilians, including a woman and child, executed by Druze fighters.

The observatory also reported a tribal militia assault Saturday on the village of Kafr al-Lahf in western Sweida, which caused panic among residents. Separately, artillery shelling from tribal positions struck the village of Umm al-Zeitoun, causing material damage.

--IANS

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