Violence erupts between Druze and Bedouin in Syria

2025-07-15 08:00:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

At least 40 dead, including children: conflict between Druze and Bedouin is escalating in the Suwayda region. The Damascus government is struggling for stability, again under pressure from religious tensions.

Heavy armed clashes have broken out between Druze and Bedouin in the southern Syrian province of Suwayda. According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 40 people have been killed, including 27 Druze, two of them children, and ten Bedouin. Another 50 people were injured, some seriously. Fighting continued overnight and into the early hours of Monday.

The governor of Suweida, Mustafa al-Bakur, and several senior Druze religious officials called for calm among the population. At the same time, they demanded more decisive intervention from the central government in Damascus. The Syrian Interior Ministry also reported more than 30 deaths and about 100 wounded in several places.

New government under pressure

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad six months ago, the new government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been trying to restore stability to war-torn Syria. However, outbreaks of violence, often along sectarian lines, continue to occur. The current conflict in Suwaida is said to have been sparked by the robbery of a young Druze man. According to the Observatory, the young man was brutally attacked by members of a Bedouin tribe, after which the Druze kidnapped several Bedouins in retaliation.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense sent troops to control the situation. However, according to the Observatory, part of the army is said to have fought on the side of the Bedouins, an accusation that further reinforced the distrust of the Druze population. The ministry, for its part, stressed that the objective was to protect the civilian population. Restoring security is a shared responsibility between the state and its citizens.

Continuing concern for the protection of minorities

The government has pledged to build a "Syria for all," but outbreaks of religiously motivated violence continue to rock the country. Druze, Alevis, and Christians fear for their safety. Observers are monitoring the situation with concern, both domestically and internationally.

Before the 2011 war, about 700,000 Druze lived in Syria, most of them in Suwayda. This religious minority, which emerged from Islam in the 11th century, represents about 3 percent of the population. There are also Druze communities in Lebanon, Israel, and the Golan Heights.

Just three weeks ago, the previously little-known jihadist group Saraja Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a church in Damascus. At least 25 people were killed and more than 60 were injured. The group threatened further attacks./ DW