1,265 people have become victims of armed clashes that have been ongoing since July 13 in the province of Suwayda in southern Syria, the Elnashra news portal reports, citing medical sources. According to it, the number of deaths increased by 146 in one day.
The greatest losses yesterday were registered in the ranks of the Druze self-defense units - 78 fighters, as they increased from 427 to 505 people in one day. Among civilians, the number of deaths remained the same - 298.
The special forces of the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defense, sent by Damascus to the southern regions to restore stability, lost 54 servicemen, while the number of deaths in their ranks increased from 354 to 408 in one day. In the pro-government formations of the Arab tribes, the losses increased from 21 to 35 militiamen. Earlier, 19 members of the Internal Security Forces were killed in Israeli air strikes.
On July 19, the interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced a ceasefire in Suwayda in accordance with a plan for the settlement of the conflict, developed with the participation of international mediators. However, on July 20, clashes between Druze and Bedouin resumed north of the provincial capital. As a result, the planned prisoner exchange between the parties in the city of Umm Zeitoun did not take place.
On Monday, the Internal Security Forces carried out an operation to evacuate residents of the city of Suwayda, who were being held hostage by local self-defense units. A total of 1,500 people were evacuated by buses. According to the pan-Arab newspaper “Asharq al-Awsat“, the number of refugees who left the southern province due to intercommunal conflict has already reached 128,000. Most of them have moved to the outskirts of Damascus and Deraa.