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Israel launched airstrikes for a second day on Syrian troops in Sweida amid deadly Druze-Bedouin clashes, sparked by a checkpoint attack on a Druze vendor.
Smoke rises while Syrian security forces sit in the back of a truck as Syrian troops entered the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday following two days of clashes, in Sweida, Syria (Reuters Photo)
UPDATED: Jul 16, 2025 04:21 IST
Israel carried out a second wave of airstrikes on Syrian government forces in southwestern Syria on Tuesday, deepening its involvement in the escalating conflict in the region and vowing to protect the Druze minority amid fierce sectarian violence.
The strikes targeted regime troops and military assets deployed to the southern province of Sweida, where clashes between armed Druze groups and Sunni Bedouin fighters have intensified since the weekend.
A Reuters reporter in Sweida heard multiple drone strikes and gunfire, saw a damaged tank being towed, and reported several bodies lying in the streets.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed the military intervention, stating it was necessary to uphold the demilitarisation of the area near the Israeli border and to prevent harm to the Druze population.
“We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarisation of the area adjacent to our border with Syria,” they said in a joint statement, citing Israel’s “deep brotherly bond” with Druze communities.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry denounced the strikes as a "blatant violation" of national sovereignty, blaming Israel for the escalation and vowing to defend all Syrian citizens, including the Druze. It acknowledged casualties among troops and civilians but did not provide specific figures.
The Syrian government, led by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in December, had dispatched troops to Sweida to contain the unrest. However, their arrival was met with resistance from local militias, who accused the regime of violating a ceasefire agreement and targeting civilians.
Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri publicly condemned the government’s actions, calling it a "barbaric campaign" and urging Druze fighters to defend their communities.
Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra later declared a renewed ceasefire and ordered military police to hold violators accountable, but fighting persisted in Sweida’s urban neighborhoods.
Tensions had been building for months between Druze communities and the government, amid fears that Damascus would fail to protect minorities under the new Islamist-led leadership.
The violence, which includes reports of looting and arson by men in military fatigues, has further tested President Sharaa’s grip on power and exposed deep sectarian rifts.
WHAT LED TO THE UNREST?
According to Syria’s Interior Ministry, at least 30 people have been killed and nearly 100 wounded in the ongoing clashes. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported an even higher toll, stating at least 50 dead, including two children and six members of the security forces.
The unrest was reportedly triggered by a series of tit-for-tat kidnappings between Druze and Bedouin communities. Tensions boiled over when Bedouin tribesmen allegedly attacked and robbed a young Druze vegetable vendor at a checkpoint, prompting retaliatory abductions and a wave of deadly violence across the province.
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Published By:
Aashish Vashistha
Published On:
Jul 16, 2025
