Syrian government security forces are preparing to redeploy to the city of Sweida in southern Syria to quell clashes that broke out between representatives of the local Druze ethno-religious community and members of Bedouin tribes, Reuters reported, citing a spokesman for the Syrian Foreign Ministry, BTA reported.
Earlier today, the Syrian Presidency accused Druze fighters of violating the ceasefire in Sweida, which led to the withdrawal of Syrian government forces from the province, Agence France-Presse notes.
In a statement, the Presidency accused the illegal forces – a term used by Syrian authorities to refer to Druze groups in Sweida – who are violating the ceasefire agreement by committing horrific violence against civilians and directly threatening civil peace, pushing the region towards chaos and a breakdown in security.
A few days ago, Israel warned that it would intensify its strikes on Syrian government forces if they did not withdraw from southern Syria, and in particular from the city of Sweida. The Israeli army "will increase the intensity of its retaliatory actions against the regime if the message is not understood", Defense Minister Israel Katz said, according to a statement from his office. He called on the Syrian authorities to "leave the Druze of Sweida alone."
According to the British-based monitoring organization Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), witnesses and Druze groups said that before withdrawing, government troops intervened in the conflict, claiming to want to calm the situation, but were involved in fighting against Druze factions in the Bedouin country, AFP notes.
The fighting in Sweida province began with kidnappings and attacks between local Druze and Bedouin tribes. According to SOHR, at least 600 people - fighters and civilians from both sides - were killed during the four days of clashes. According to the NGO, more than 80 civilians, mostly Druze, were among the dead, who were rounded up and shot during the so-called field executions, the Associated Press notes.
"These are not individual acts, they are systematic", said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, to the AP. "All kinds of violations are there. You can see from the bodies that are on the streets of Sweida; it is clear that they were shot in the head".
In response to these actions, Druze militias have focused their attacks on Bedouin families since the ceasefire was reached. Footage published on Syrian state media showed Bedouin families gathering their belongings and fleeing, with reports of fresh clashes in those areas. There were no reports of casualties in these attacks.