Syrian president confirms truce as state forces enter Suwayda

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Saturday confirmed that a ceasefire has been agreed on in the southern Druze-majority province of Suwayda, where days of clashes between armed Druze groups and Sunni tribes have killed hundreds. He thanked Washington for its role in reaching the truce. 

In a video message addressing the nation, Sharaa targeted the armed Druze groups who have been in control of their region since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December. 

“The recent events witnessed in Suwayda province have constituted a dangerous turning point in the security and political situation in Syria, where conflicts have escalated between outlawed groups on one hand, and Bedouins on the other, leading to an unprecedented deterioration of conditions,” Sharaa stated. 

“The events began with violent clashes between these groups that nearly spiraled out of control, had it not been for the intervention of the Syrian state, which managed to calm the situation despite its difficulty,” he added. 

Clashes between the Druze and Bedouin tribes have killed over 700 people since Sunday. State forces, who were deployed to the province to end the violence, have been accused of siding with the Sunni tribes. 

Earlier on Saturday, Washington’s Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack announced that the United States brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Syria. Israel has come out in support of the Druze and hit several targets, including Syrian state forces and an airstrike on the building of the defence ministry in Damascus. 

Sharaa called on everyone to abide by the truce and thanked the US for the role it played and Russia, China and the European Union for their “strong positions” in rejecting Israel’s attacks. 

“Israeli intervention reignited tensions and pushed the country into a dangerous phase threatening its stability, as a result of the blatant shelling of the south and government institutions in Damascus. Following these events, American and Arab mediations intervened in an attempt to de-escalate the situation,” Sharaa said. 

He did not disclose the terms of the ceasefire, but the Druze spiritual leadership did provide details.

Security forces affiliated with Damascus will set up checkpoints in the vicinity of Suwayda province “with the aim of controlling the engagement and preventing the infiltration of any groups into the province,” according to the Druze text. “Entry of any party into border villages is prohibited for 48 hours from the time of the agreement, to allow for the deployment of security forces from the other side, avoiding any surprise attacks.”

The Druze leadership also said that the Bedouin armed groups who are still in the province will be safely escorted out without facing any mistreatment. 

Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba said on X that Damascus-affiliated internal security forces “have begun entering Suwayda as part of a national mission, with the primary goal of protecting civilians and stopping chaos.” 

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned Sharaa’s speech, claiming that it was a “display of support for the jihadists attackers (in al-Shara’s words: ‘The Bedouin tribes as a symbol of noble values and principles’) and blaming the victims (the attacked Druze minority).”

He said that it is “very dangerous” to be a member of a minority group in Syria, including Kurds. 

“The international community has a duty to ensure the security and rights of the minorities in Syria and to condition Syria’s renewed acceptance into the family of nations on their protection,” he said. 

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