At least 30 people have been killed in armed clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribesmen in Suweida, southern Syria, in what Syria’s HTS-run interior ministry described as a “dangerous escalation.” The violence broke out on Sunday following the reported abduction of a Druze merchant on the Damascus highway two days earlier.
Fighting erupted in the al-Maqwas district of Suweida city and quickly spread to nearby towns and villages, with reports of homes torched and entire communities displaced. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said 37 people were killed in total, including 27 Druze and 10 Bedouin, among them two children.
The HTS-run interior ministry blamed the violence on the “absence of relevant official institutions” and promised a coordinated military-police response to restore order. Governor Mustapha al-Bakur called for “self-restraint,” while Druze spiritual leaders issued appeals for calm. Late Sunday, local sources said mediation had led to the release of some hostages on both sides, but new fighting resumed Monday in western Suweida, reportedly involving drone attacks.
Some Druze social media activists claimed that Bedouin fighters received backing from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the jihadist group led by Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. Footage circulating online purporting to show HTS fighters in Suweida has been traced back to unrelated incidents in Idlib province. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and major international outlets including Reuters and AFP say they have not confirmed the presence of HTS militants on the Suweida front.
The latest round of violence comes amid deepening instability in Syria’s south. In May, more than 130 people were killed during clashes in and around Damascus involving Druze militias, regime forces, and Islamist factions.
As of Monday, Israel said it carried out limited airstrikes on Syrian military targets in response to cross-border fire, reportedly destroying two Syrian army tanks near the Druze town of Hader.