A fragile ceasefire holds in southern Syria
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Sectarian-tinged clashes left hundreds dead and attracted Israeli military intervention. A U.S. envoy said Israel and Syria had agreed to a truce.
Syria's Sweida province has been engulfed by nearly a week of violence triggered by clashes between Bedouin fighters and Druze factions. Earlier on Friday, an Israeli official said Israel agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to the Sweida area of southern Syria for the next two days.
Israel and Syria agreed to a ceasefire after Israel intervened in fighting between Syrian government forces and rebel groups.
Syria and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said on Friday. The deal was “embraced” by Turkey, Jordan and other neighboring countries, the ambassador, who also serves as the US special envoy to Syria, said in a post on X.
The interior ministry said clashes in Sweida city had been halted and the area cleared of Bedouin tribal fighters following the deployment.
Syria’s interior ministry spokesperson said earlier on Saturday that internal security forces had begun deploying in Sweida
Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has urged Sunni Bedouin tribes to honor a ceasefire aimed at ending deadly clashes with Druze-linked militias.
In their article for The Media Line, Brittle Ceasefire: ‘This Isn’t Peace,’ As-Suwayda Teacher Says Ahmed Qweidar and Jacob Wirtschafter offer a powerful and nuanced portrait of Syria’s ongoing conflict. Their reporting presents a wide range of voices, challenging the simplistic narratives often found in international coverage.
A Syrian-American who was taking care of his ill father was among the eight Druze men kidnapped from their family home and “executed’ in the middle of the street, harrowing video shows.