At least 89 people have been killed in Syria’s southern Sweida province as fierce fighting between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters entered its second day, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Amid the escalating violence, Israel confirmed it had struck “several tanks” in the region, citing previous warnings that it would intervene to protect the Druze community, though further details were not provided.
The unrest presents a major challenge to Syria’s interim leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, whose Islamist-led forces ousted Bashar al-Assad in December after 14 years of civil war.
The violence reportedly began on Sunday when Bedouin gunmen abducted a Druze vegetable vendor along the Damascus highway. Although retaliatory kidnappings ended with the hostages’ release, the conflict intensified on Monday, with mortar shells striking villages and dozens wounded, according to Suwayda 24.
Deserted streets, closed shops, and sporadic gunfire during funerals painted a grim picture of Sweida city. “We lived in a state of extreme terror — the shells were falling randomly,” said Abu Taym, a 51-year-old resident.
The Syrian military and interior ministry deployed reinforcements, opened safe corridors for civilians, and pledged to end the conflict “quickly and decisively”.
The death toll, according to the Observatory, includes 46 Druze fighters, four civilians, 18 Bedouin combatants, seven unidentified individuals in military uniforms, and six members of the security forces.
Sweida has seen repeated unrest in recent months. In April and May, clashes between Druze fighters and pro-government forces killed over 100 people, following a power shift that placed Druze fighters in charge of local security.
On Monday, large military convoys, armed civilian vehicles, and ambulances were seen moving through the outskirts of Sweida. Meanwhile, Druze leaders, including Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, called for calm and demanded international protection, rejecting the presence of general security forces in the province.
Interior Minister Anas Khattab acknowledged a “lack of state, military and security institutions” in Sweida, calling their reactivation essential to restoring peace.
As tensions surged, the education ministry postponed secondary school exams scheduled for Monday.
Sweida, a majority-Druze province, is home to part of Syria’s estimated 700,000 Druze population. The Druze, a religious minority with communities in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, have a long-standing feud with Bedouin tribes in the region.
The renewed violence has raised fears over the interim government’s ability to protect Syria’s minorities. Recent deadly attacks on Alawite and Druze communities have further shaken public confidence.
Israel, which occupies part of Syria’s Golan Heights and is home to over 150,000 Druze, has carried out strikes in Syria in the past, citing Druze protection as justification — including one in May near Damascus’ presidential palace.