DAMASCUS – Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has pledged to defend the country’s Druze minority following deadly sectarian violence in Suweida province that triggered Israeli military strikes.
In his first national address since the attacks, President Sharaa said Syrian forces had cleared Suweida of what he called “outlawed groups,” and claimed stability had been restored despite what he termed Israeli “interference.”
“We are not among those who fear war,” President Sharaa said early Thursday. “We face challenges, but we place the interests of Syrians above chaos and destruction.”
Clashes erupted Sunday between Druze militias and Bedouin tribal fighters in Suweida, a city dominated by Syria’s Druze population. The violence quickly spread, drawing in government troops for the first time since Sharaa’s Sunni Islamist faction overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, ending over a decade of civil war.
More than 350 people are reported to have been killed since sectarian clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The UK-based monitor reported that 79 Druze fighters and 55 civilians were among the dead. The group also accused security forces of executing 27 Druze civilians without trial. Government losses included 189 personnel, while 18 Bedouin fighters were killed.
The death toll could not be independently verified, but a Syrian security official confirmed that the number exceeded 300.
Syrian state media reported Thursday that a ceasefire deal had been struck with Druze leaders, prompting a partial military withdrawal from Suweida. The deal includes handing security over to religious elders and local factions. It remains unclear whether the agreement will hold.
President Sharaa, a former commander in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham a faction once tied to al-Qaeda and still listed as a terrorist group by the UN has faced deep distrust from Syria’s religious minorities. That skepticism intensified following earlier incidents of sectarian violence, including a deadly confrontation in May involving Druze fighters, security forces, and Islamist militants.
In his speech, President Sharaa referred to the Druze as “a fundamental part of the fabric of this nation,” and rejected what he described as attempts to divide Syrians through “external manipulation.”
But tensions deepened Wednesday when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government would “eliminate the regime gangs” responsible for attacking Druze civilians. Israeli forces struck multiple targets in Syria, including military command centers in Damascus, vehicles headed to Suweida, and arms depots near the presidential palace.
“We are acting to protect our Druze brothers and to stop hostile elements from taking root near our border,” said Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir during a visit to the Golan Heights. “We will not allow southern Syria to become a terror stronghold.”
Zamir also condemned Druze protesters who crossed into Syria via the fortified Golan frontier, warning that Israel would not tolerate “disorder” along the border fence.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Washington was holding talks with all parties involved. “Specific steps have been agreed on to end this troubling and horrifying situation,” Secretary of State Rubio said, without revealing details. “We expect all parties to honor their commitments.”
The Druze, a secretive religious group with roots in Shia Islam, have communities spread across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and the Golan Heights. Many Druze in Syria have long kept their distance from both Islamist groups and the state, but recent unrest has exposed growing vulnerabilities.
In closing his address, Sharaa vowed accountability for abuses committed against the Druze population. “We are committed to holding those who violated the rights of our Druze people fully responsible,” he said.
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