Clashes resume in Syria’s Druze metropolis of Sweida, Israel vows extra strikes

Clashes between Syrian authorities troops and native Druze fighters resumed within the southern Druze metropolis of Sweida early on Wednesday (July 16, 2025), collapsing a ceasefire introduced simply hours earlier that aimed to place an finish to days of lethal sectarian bloodshed.

The outbreak of violence within the predominantly Druze province in southern Syria has highlighted frictions amongst Syria’s various communities, with minorities feeling deep mistrust in direction of the Islamist-led authorities now in energy.

Syrian troops had been dispatched to the province on Monday to quell preventing between Druze fighters and Bedouin armed males however ended up clashing with the Druze militias. The preventing drew in Israel, which carried out air strikes on authorities forces on Monday and Tuesday beneath the goal of defending the Druze.

A ceasefire introduced by Syria’s Defence Ministry on Tuesday evening was short-lived.

Local information outlet Sweida24 stated the town of Sweida and close by villages had been coming beneath heavy artillery and mortar hearth early on Wednesday. Syria’s defence ministry, in an announcement carried by state information company SANA, blamed outlaw teams in Sweida for breaching the truce.

The Defence Ministry known as on residents of the town to remain indoors.

Dozens of civilians, authorities troops and Druze fighters have been killed because the preventing erupted on Sunday.

Civilians and Reuters reporters within the metropolis stated that authorities forces had looted and burned houses, stealing automobiles and furnishings from houses on Tuesday. One man confirmed a Reuters reporter the physique of his brother, who had been shot within the head inside their residence.

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday warned the Syrian authorities to “leave Druze alone” and that the army would proceed to strike Syrian authorities forces till they pulled again.

U.S. Syria envoy Tom Barrack stated on Tuesday that the United States was involved with all sides “to navigate towards calm and integration”.