Facing one of the deadliest bouts of sectarian violence in years, Syria’s de facto leadership has ceded control of the embattled southern city of Sweida to local community leaders, hoping to stem the bloodshed that has already claimed over 350 lives in four days.
The announcement came from interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa, who, in a televised address on Thursday, said the government would allow “religious elders and local factions” to take charge of the city’s security. The move follows intense ethnic clashes between Druze communities and rival tribal groups after the abduction of a Druze merchant triggered retaliatory violence.
“We are preparing to hold accountable the people who transgressed and abused our Druze people; they are under the protection and responsibility of the state,” said Sharaa. “Druze are a fundamental part of the fabric of this nation... protecting your rights and freedom is one of our priorities.”
Sweida, long a restive region, has in recent weeks descended into chaos. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that over 350 civilians and fighters had died in sweeping violence since Sunday. This follows previous clashes in March that killed around 1,700, largely members of the Alawite sect aligned with the Assad regime. In April, nearly 100 Druze fighters were also killed in confrontations with pro-government forces.
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On Wednesday, the situation was further complicated by Israeli airstrikes near Damascus. Syria condemned the attacks, saying Israel was “hiding behind the guise of protecting minorities while conducting ethnic cleansing in Gaza.”
International concern has mounted. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday denounced the Israeli strikes. “We want it to stop,” he said, warning of potential escalation across the region.
The broader humanitarian toll in Syria remains staggering. The country has been riven by civil war for more than a decade, with an estimated 700,000 to one million people killed since the conflict began. Infrastructure is in ruins, and basic services remain scarce in many regions.
In a surprising diplomatic shift, Washington recently revoked the terrorist designation of interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa and lifted all sanctions against Syria, a move seen by analysts as an effort to incentivise stability in the post-Assad transition period.
Syria’s government, now a patchwork of military and tribal authorities, remains under immense pressure to preserve national unity and avoid further descent into sectarian fragmentation.
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