As-Suwayda, Syria – The official Syrian news channel Al-Ekhbariya said on Sunday that armed groups attacked members of the internal security forces in Suwayda, killing one member and wounding others, and fired shells at several villages in the southern province, which is witnessing violence.
The report quoted a security source as saying that armed groups violated the agreed-upon ceasefire in the Druze-majority region, where bloodshed between factions led to the deaths of hundreds of people last month.
Violence erupted in Sweida on July 13 between Druze tribal fighters and factions. Government forces were sent to calm the fighting, but the bloodshed worsened, and Israel carried out strikes on Syrian forces in the name of the Druze.
The Druze are a minority sect of Muslims, with followers spread across Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Suwayda Governorate has a Druze majority, but it is also home to Sunni tribes, and these communities have experienced long-standing tensions over land and other resources.
An American-brokered truce ended the fighting that continued in the city of Suwayda and its surrounding towns for nearly a week.. Syria announced that it would investigate the clashes and formed a committee to investigate the attacks.
