Syrian government forces were advancing towards the southern city of Sweida to quell deadly clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes, with one Druze armed group saying talks with authorities aimed at brokering a truce were underway.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) war monitor reported over 100 people have been killed since the fighting erupted on Sunday — 60 Druze, including four civilians, 18 Bedouin fighters, 14 security personnel and seven unidentified people in military uniforms.
As the violence escalated, Israel — which has previously warned it would intervene in Syria to protect the Druze — said it struck "several tanks" in the area as a "warning".
Syrian forces took control of the Druze village of al-Mazraa, where Bedouin fighters were also located.
A commander, Ezzeddine al-Shamayer, told Agence France-Presse the forces "are heading toward Sweida" city.
Syria's defence ministry says "outlawed groups" have attacked government security forces. Source: AP / Ghaith Alsayed
Bassem Fakhr, spokesperson for the Men of Dignity movement, one of the largest Druze factions in Sweida, said talks were "underway between the notables of the city of Sweida and representatives of the general security [forces] and the defence ministry to reach a solution".
Druze religious authorities called for a ceasefire in the area, saying they were not opposed to the Syrian central government.
But Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, one of the three Druze spiritual leaders in Sweida, expressed his "rejection of the entry" of security forces into the province, demanding "international protection".
Israel — which also has a Druze population and has previously attacked Syria in purported defence of the group — reported hitting several tanks heading towards Sweida.
The strikes were "a clear warning to the Syrian regime — we will not allow harm to be done to the Druze in Syria", Israeli defence minister Israel Katz posted on X.
Fear of massacres
The fighting in the south underscores the challenges facing interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose Islamist forces removed then-president Bashar al-Assad in December after nearly 14 years of civil war.
Syria's pre-war Druze population was estimated at around 700,000, many of them concentrated in Sweida province.
The Druze, followers of an esoteric religion that split from Shi'ite Islam, are mainly found in Syria, Lebanon and Israel.
Following deadly clashes with government forces in April and May, local and religious leaders reached an agreement with Syria under which Druze fighters have been providing security in the province.
The streets of Sweida were deserted on Monday, with an AFP photographer reporting distant gunfire during funerals.
"We lived in a state of extreme terror — the shells were falling randomly," said Abu Taym, a 51-year-old father, adding, "most shops are closed".
"We fear a repeat of the coastal scenario," said Amal, 46, referring to killings of more than 1,700 — mostly Alawites — in north-west Syria, according to SOHR, where groups affiliated with the government were blamed for most of the killings.
"We are not against the state, but we are against surrendering our weapons without a state that treats everyone the same," she said.
In a post on X, Syrian defence minister Murhaf Abu Qasra urged his troops to "protect your fellow citizens" from "outlaw gangs", and to "restore stability to Sweida".
