Violent clashes have ended in the city of Sweida and tribal fighters removed from the area, Syrian authorities say, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on government security forces to prevent extremists from "carrying out massacres".
Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine Al Baba said in a post on Telegram late on Saturday that "clashes within the city's neighbourhoods were halted".
"After intensive efforts by the Ministry of Interior to implement the ceasefire agreement, following the deployment of its forces in the northern and western regions of Sweida governorate, the city of Sweida was evacuated of all tribal fighters," he said.
Sources in neighbouring Jordan told The National the violence had subsided considerably, except for in one pocket near a stretch of Road 109 that connects Sweida to the bordering Deraa province.
Sectarian clashes between Druze and Bedouin groups have been raging for days in Sweida, killing hundreds from both sides. A ceasefire was announced on Saturday.
The violence has been marked by widespread reports of killings of civilians and surrendered fighters. It has drawn in government forces, which have also been accused of such behaviour. Sweida was under siege by pro-government forces, but they have faced stiff resistance from the city’s Druze defenders, who have repelled waves of attacks.
Israel, which is home to a sizeable Druze community, launched a series of air attacks on Syria it said was aimed at protecting the minority. However, diplomats and analysts have said its goal is to weaken Syria's authorities.
Under pressure from Israel and the US, Syrian security forces withdrew from Sweida on Thursday but returned on Friday, reportedly with Israeli consent.
Tom Barrack, US envoy to Syria, on Saturday announced the government in Damascus and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire brokered by Washington. Mr Barrack met the Syrian and Jordanian foreign ministers in Amman on Saturday, and they "agreed on practical steps to support Syria in implementing the agreement", he said on X.
Mr Rubio on Saturday called on the Syrian government's security forces to prevent ISIS and other extremists from operating in the region.
If Damascus wanted to preserve the chance for a unified, inclusive and peaceful Syria, its security forces must prevent ISIS and any other violent extremists from entering the area and carrying out massacres, Mr Rubio said on X.
He called on the Syrian government to "hold accountable and bring to justice anyone guilty of atrocities including those in their own ranks".
Once in control of large parts of Syria, ISIS was territorially defeated in the country in 2019 largely thanks to the efforts of Kurdish-led forces supported by an international coalition.
Sources in Jordan monitoring the situation in Sweida told The National that at least 12,000 pro-government fighters led by Syrian security officials had advanced on the city from three pockets to the west on Saturday.
The first advance was from the town of Mazraa, where 6,000 militia fighters have assembled under Shaher Amran, a commander in neighbouring Deraa province, as well as Ahmad Dalati, who is in charge of security in Sweida.
From the town of Najran, another 800 pro-government fighters were being led by Mouwafaq Al Dokhi, a Bedouin security official.
In Al Thaala, an extra 1,500 gunmen have been assembled under the command of an intelligence official known as Khattab, head of a newly created intelligence force called Unit 555.
On the back lines, there were 4,000 infantry positioned in Deraa province, mainly in the towns of Busra Al Harir and Izraa, near the main motorway from Deraa city to Damascus. Their weaponry, mainly weapons such as DShK Soviet-era heavy machine-guns, are being provided by the government and transported on vegetable lorries from Damascus to help disguise the process and make it difficult for Israel to attack from the air, the sources in Jordan said.
In Deraa province, the launchpad of the government offensive, authorities have given governor Anwar Al Zubi the responsibility of collecting donations to provide food and logistics for the troops, while mosques have also issued calls for donations, the sources added.
Sweida is home to most of Syria's registered 800,000 Druze. But they have left in their droves, particularly during the country's 13-year civil war, with about 270,000 remaining.
Many Druze have opposed attempts by the Syrian government to station security forces from outside the area in the province, saying such personnel should be drawn from the local population.
Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara, commander of an Al Qaeda faction before cutting ties with the group in 2016, has said protecting Druze citizens and their rights is “our priority”. He has vowed to hold to account those who committed violations against “our Druze people”.
Overseas, dozens of Syrians rallied on Saturday in London and Paris, calling for action to protect the Druze. In central London, about 80 protesters called for an end to the deadly violence and a humanitarian corridor to be opened up via the Jordanian border.
Protest organiser Emad Al Eismy told the AFP news agency that atrocities were being carried out in Sweida.
"Shootings, beheadings, raping, killing children, torching shops, homes. It's a barbarian movement going on," he said.
