At Least 89 Dead In Syria Sectarian Clash. What Sparked The Latest Wave Of Violence?

Last Updated:July 14, 2025, 22:27 IST

The violence, now in its second day, has raised fears about the stability of the region’s fragile post-war balance

Syrian security forces take a position in the Mazraa area, near Sweida on July 14, 2025, following clashes between Bedouin tribes and local fighters in the predominantly Druze city. (AFP photo)

At least 89 people have been killed in southern Syria’s Sweida province amid fierce sectarian fighting between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters. The violence, now in its second day, has raised fears about the stability of the region’s fragile post-war balance.

The clashes ignited on Sunday after Bedouin gunmen abducted a Druze vegetable vendor on the highway to Damascus. In retaliation, Druze fighters captured Bedouin hostages. Though the hostages were released, the conflict escalated.

Mortar rounds struck villages outside Sweida city on Monday, leaving dozens wounded, according to local news outlet Suwayda 24.

Amid the fighting, Israel—whose officials have previously threatened intervention to protect the Druze—said it struck “several tanks" in Sweida, though no further details were provided. Meanwhile, Syrian military and Interior Ministry forces have been deployed to restore calm. Authorities also opened safe corridors for civilians and vowed to end the violence “quickly and decisively".

Fragile Post-Assad Order At Risk

The renewed sectarian fighting highlights the challenges faced by interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa. His Islamist coalition ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December, but Syria remains deeply divided after nearly 14 years of war.

Despite the transitional government’s pledge to include minorities, its 23‑member cabinet features only one Druze minister, Agriculture Minister Amjad Badr.

Under Assad’s Ba’athist regime, Syria upheld a secular Arab nationalist identity and granted religious minorities relative freedom. Since the regime’s fall, however, conflicts have repeatedly broken out between government forces, Islamist insurgents, and Druze militias.

Who Are The Druze And Bedouins?

The Druze are a small religious community with around one million adherents worldwide, half of whom reside in Syria. They follow a sect that branched off from Ismaili Shi’ism in the 10th century. In Syria, most live in Sweida province and in south-western suburbs of Damascus.

Sunni Bedouin tribes are another influential group in southern Syria. Many of them, once tolerated under Assad’s rule, have clashed with Druze communities over land, influence, and control of checkpoints.

Since Assad’s removal, reintegration of militias has been a complex issue. Druze fighters formed their own local militias during the war, often to shield their communities from Islamist extremist groups like Islamic State. In 2018, IS militants attacked Sweida, killing over 200 Druze civilians and abducting dozens, deepening local mistrust.

Wider Violence And Potential Escalation

Monday’s battles follow a pattern of sectarian flare-ups in Syria. In March, an ambush on regime security forces by Druze factions triggered a cycle of revenge killings, mainly targeting Alawite civilians. The majority of the overall casualties in this cycle were among the Alawite sect—Assad’s own community.

Elsewhere, tensions are rising in the northeast, where government forces and Kurdish-led authorities remain in deadlock over their long-pending March agreement to integrate forces.

The ongoing clashes threaten Syria’s uneasy path to recovery. After nearly 14 years of war, the country must rebuild infrastructure, resettle displaced millions, and nurture national reconciliation. The UN once estimated reconstruction at $250 billion; some experts now project figures as high as $400 billion.

(With inputs from agencies)

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News world At Least 89 Dead In Syria Sectarian Clash. What Sparked The Latest Wave Of Violence?