Clashes between Druze fighters, Syrian forces raise fears of renewed violence

At least two people were killed and dozens of others injured in renewed clashes on Friday between government forces and Druze fighters in Suwayda province, the latest escalation in tensions between Damascus and armed factions in southern Syria.

What happened: Local media reported heavy clashes between the National Guard, a Druze-led armed group, and government forces in western Suwayda that began late Thursday and continued into early Friday. The two sides blame each other for the outbreak of hostilities.

State-run Al-Ikhbariah TV cited unnamed security sources saying that a group of gunmen had launched an attack on government security forces positions in the Tal Hadid area, in Suwayda’s western countryside.

The news channel also said two gunmen were killed and 16 others injured after internal security forces repelled their attempt to advance on Tal Hadid, a strategic area overlooking Suwayda city.

#Suwayda: Clashes are still continuing in the western countryside of Suwayda. pic.twitter.com/M6k67I5iYi

– Syrian Home News (@SyriawatanNews) July 2, 2026

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said government forces and their allies had directed artillery shelling and heavy gunfire toward Tal Hadid as well as an industrial area on al-Thaala Road and the towns of Umm al-Zaytoun and al-Matouna. The war monitor also reported the killing of two people, but it did not specify their affiliation, and the injury of more than 50 people, including women and children.

In a statement released early Friday, the National Guard accused government forces stationed in the western and northwestern axes of the city of initiating the conflict.

The group further claimed that government forces had been “carrying out systematic attacks using drones and various types of heavy and medium machine guns, in a blatant and flagrant violation of the de-escalation zones,” which were established under a 2025 ceasefire agreement.

National Guard forces responded to the sources of fire, according to the statement, “achieving direct and confirmed hits among the attacking forces.”

Syrian authorities have yet to comment on the situation.

Why it matters: The latest escalation comes despite a ceasefire agreed to last July by the government and local Druze leaders in Suwayda following one of the most deadly rounds of violence in Syria since the fall of the Assad dynasty in December 2024.

In July 2025, the province experienced heavy clashes between members of the Druze minority and Sunni Bedouin clans, triggering a wave of revenge killings and alleged human rights violations against the Druze community after Syrian government forces deployed to quell the violence. At the time, the SOHR reported at least 1,339 deaths, including those of 196 people who were summarily executed by gunmen affiliated with security forces and army personnel.

Tensions had escalated in recent weeks amid assorted kidnappings, sporadic clashes and armed attacks in Suwayda. National Guard fighters and government forces have repeatedly exchanged fire, including on Monday.

On Sunday, four people were killed during a dispute between two families in al-Raha on the southeastern outskirts of the province, and last week, an elderly man identified as Ayed Nader was found dead in an area between Majdal and Mazraa, in western Suwayda, after reportedly being abducted by National Guard forces.

Suwayda24 reported last Tuesday that National Guard fighters had allegedly stolen dozens of sheep and kidnapped another man while attempting to advance toward the government-controlled town of Mazraa.

Know more: The National Guard was formed in August 2025 by Hikmat al-Hijri, a Druze spiritual leader in Suwayda. Hijri has been a vocal critic of President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government, and in January called for the creation of autonomous regions in southern Syria, accusing authorities in Damascus of seeking to kill minorities.

The Druze, a Shiite offshoot and one of several minority groups in Syria, number approximately 700,000 and are mainly concentrated in the south, including in Suwayda.

Although marginalized under the Assad governments, the Druze remained relatively neutral throughout the civil war that erupted in 2011, managing their own local affairs.

Following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, the Druze community sought assurances of inclusion and fair representation from the new leadership in Damascus.

Sharaa has repeatedly vowed to protect minorities, restore calm and integrate all armed groups into the security forces. In March 2025, government and Druze representatives in Suwayda reached an agreement to integrate members of the community into state institutions, but no steps have been taken toward implementation.