ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syria’s Interior Ministry denied reports that its forces had entered the southern Druze-majority province of Suwayda to contain ongoing clashes between Druze groups and Bedouin tribes, a state-owned Syrian TV reported on Friday, a day after interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced the withdrawal of state forces from the area. “There is no truth so far to what is being circulated about the entry of Ministry of Interior forces to resolve the conflict in Suwayda,” an informed security source told state-run al-Ikhbariya TV. Sharaa on Wednesday announced the withdrawal of state forces from Suwayda after days of inter-communal violence. Fighting erupted on Sunday between Druze groups and Sunni Bedouin tribes, prompting the deployment of forces from Syria’s defense and interior ministries, along with affiliated armed factions. The Syrian army seized most of the province, which had been under the control of armed Druze groups since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December. A ceasefire was later announced by the Defense Ministry, following an agreement with Druze leaders. The spiritual leader of Syria's Druze community, Hikmat al-Hajari, said they were pressured into making the deal and warned that they are facing “extermination.” The Syrian army pulled out of the area after reported US mediation and Israeli support for the Druze. Clashes continued after the announced truce. As of Thursday, nearly 600 people have been killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based war monitor. Nearly half of the casualties are residents of Suwayda. The humanitarian situation in the province is dire. SOHR reported that Suwayda is witnessing a near-complete cut in water supplies, and there is a scarcity of food and medicines. On Thursday, Syria’s Druze community appealed for a route to be opened to connect them with the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria (Rojava). Rojava authorities responded by expressing solidarity with the Druze and announcing plans to send humanitarian aid. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Friday ordered the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Druze. “In light of the recent attacks against the Druze in Suwayda and the serious humanitarian situation there, and in accordance with the needs on the ground - Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has ordered the urgent transfer of humanitarian aid to the Druze in Suwayda,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on X. The aid package, valued at just under $600,000, includes food supplies, medical equipment, first aid kits, and medicine, funded by the Foreign Ministry, according to the statement. The Syrian presidency on Thursday said it had launched an investigation into reported violations committed during the recent violence. Footage widely circulated online showed Damascus-affiliated fighters forcibly shaving Druze men, removing their mustaches that are a traditional symbol of pride. On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes targeted the General Staff Command Building of the Syrian Armed Forces in central Damascus, a day before Sharaa announced state forces were withdrawing. Israel has repeatedly stated its commitment to protecting Syria’s Druze minority and preventing the establishment of a hostile military presence near its borders, citing national security concerns. On Thursday, SOHR reported that an Israeli drone strike targeted tribal fighters near Suwayda. A day earlier, five members of the Syrian Defense Ministry’s 70th Division were killed when an Israeli drone hit a military vehicle on a mountain road near the province. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a post on X that Israeli forces had targeted Syrian regime military sites in southern Syria.
