Overview

A new round of fighting between Druze armed groups and government forces in southern Syria's Sweida province eased on Friday after clashes on Thursday that left several people wounded but no confirmed fatalities. The local National Guard accused government troops of attacking the town of al‑Majdal with heavy weapons and attack drones in an attempt to break defenses, saying its fighters repelled the assault and inflicted material and personnel losses. Damascus officials, including the governor of Sweida, blamed the Druze factions for violating a ceasefire by attacking de‑escalation points, arguing such actions obstruct reconstruction and the return of displaced residents.

Context and Risks

Analysts on the ground described the Thursday exchanges as intense, involving drones, anti‑aircraft machine guns and mortars, and residents reported hearing Israeli aircraft over the city though it was unclear whether they struck. The flare‑up revives fears of renewed escalation after July's deadly clashes between Druze groups, local Bedouin tribes and government forces that killed hundreds—mostly Druze—and displaced tens of thousands. A U.S.‑brokered ceasefire and the withdrawal of government forces had left Druze authorities governing much of Sweida independently; both sides now accuse the other of breaching that agreement, keeping the province on edge for further violence, as reported by ABC News