Syrian troops entered the majority Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday, after deadly clashes with the Bedouin tribes killed nearly 100 people. The city had previously been under control of the armed factions of the Druze militia.
The deployment was possible after Druze spiritual leadership urged fighters to lay down their arms and let the troops in. A curfew has been imposed in the city following clashes which has killed at least 99 people, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. According to the observatory, the dead include 60 Druze, including four civilians, 18 Bedouin fighters, 14 security personnel and seven unidentified people in military uniforms.
The Ministry of Defence has reported 18 deaths among the armed forces. The ministry later said they had entered the city, and urged people to “stay home and report any movements of outlaw groups,” Al Jazeera reported.
This is the first time that the government forces have been deployed in Sweida since the overthrow of the longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.
Israel, who supports the Druze in Syria bombed several Syrian tanks on Monday. The strikes were "a clear warning to the Syrian regime — we will not allow harm to be done to the Druze in Syria", said Defence Israel Minister Israel Katz.
The Bedouin and the Druze have had a longstanding conflict in Sweida. This is the first instance of deadly violence reported in the area since fighting between members of the Druze community and the security forces killed dozens of people in April and May.
The Druze are mainly found in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. The Sweida province holds the 7,00,000 members of the Druze community. In Syria, they largely live in the southern Sweida province and some suburbs of Damascus, mainly in Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya to the south.