Bedouin tells BBC they can return to fight Druze

Fighters of the Bedouin outside the southern Syrian city of Suweida told the BBC that they would observe a ceasefire with the Druze community there, but did not rule out the resumption of hostilities.

In a deadly sectarian conflict between the Druze fighters, Bedouin and government forces, Bedouin fighters had retreated from the city to surrounding villages in the province, and Israel carried out air strikes to support Druze.

On Sunday, a UK-based monitoring team said there was a “cautious peace” in the area – but later said tribal warriors attacked the village.

From Al-Mazara’a town – a Druze Town, until last week taken over by the Bedouin, now under the control of the Syrian government – smoke can be seen in the fields rising from Suweida City.

At a nearby checkpoint, a pile of muddy dirt cut across the road. Dozens of government security personnel stood along it, all armed and prevented the Bedouin from re-entering the city.

Hundreds of Bedouin soldiers, many guns that were shooting into the air, crowded the road.

They hope to release the injured Bedouin people who are still in the city of Suweida, they call hostages. Otherwise, they will force them to cross the checkpoint and return to the city, they say.

A tribal elder told the BBC: “We did the order of the government to order us, we were committed to reaching an agreement, and the government said, we are back, Suweida is 35 kilometers away.”

“Currently, our hostages and injured people are there and they refuse to give us any of us… If they don’t promise a deal, we will sign it again even if Suweida will be our cemetery.”

The long-term tension between the Druze and the Bedouin tribes broke out a week ago in a deadly sectarian conflict as Druze merchants kidnapped on the roads in the capital Damascus.

The government of interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa responded by deploying troops to cities. Residents of Druze residents Tell the BBC that they witnessed “barbaric behavior” As gunmen – government forces and foreign fighters – attacked people. Israel targets these forces, saying they are taking action to protect Druze.

Government forces were withdrawn, and Druze and Bedouin fighters subsequently clashed. Over the past seven days, both Druze and Bedouin fighters have been charged with atrocities, as well as security forces and individuals associated with the Provisional Government.

On Saturday, al-Sharaa announced a ceasefire and sent security forces to Suweida to end the battle.

Local Druze fighters once again control the city. But the Syrian Human Rights Observatory (SOHR), based in the UK, said more than 1,120 people were killed.

The monitor said the dead included 427 Druze fighters and 298 Druze civilians, of which 194 were “executed publicly by personnel from the Ministry of Defense and Interior.”

Meanwhile, 354 government security personnel and 21 Sunni Bedouin were also killed, with three civilians saying “executed publicly by Druze fighters.” It said 15 other government forces were killed during an Israeli strike.

The UN immigration agency said on Sunday that at least 128,000 people were displaced due to violence. SOHR said there was a severe shortage of medical supplies in Suweida City.

It is reported that the first humanitarian convoy of the Syrian Red Crescent has arrived in the city. Israel’s public broadcaster reported that Israel has provided medical assistance to Druze.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanded that the government “impose responsibility on people including their own positions, including their own actions, and bring them to justice to maintain the possibility of a joint and peaceful Syria.

In Mia’rbah, southwest of Suveda, Bedouin refugees gathered at the school of the past. The village still brought scars from years of civil war, with buildings lying in ruins and scattered with bullet holes.

In aid distribution, an elderly Bedouin woman collected water from a tank at the back of the truck. Most of the people there are women and children.

Asked if she thought Bedouin and Druze could live together, a woman from Suweida City said it would depend on the government in Damascus.

“If the government takes over and rule, they can live together, if the government will provide peace and security,” she said.

In the absence of government authority, she said she believed the Bedouin could not believe Druze.

“They are traitors, and without peace and security, we will not be able to live with them.”

Other reports by Jack Burgess