A new wave of deadly violence has shaken Syria, putting the fragile security situation in the country under the spotlight as the new government tries to assert its control over divided territory.
On Sunday, July 13th, the reported abduction of a merchant from the minority Druze community sparked several days of deadly clashes between Druze militias and Sunni Bedouin fighters in southern Syria.
Later, on Tuesday, July 15th, Israel intervened militarily, saying its forces aimed to protect the Druze and eliminate pro-government forces accused of attacking them in Suweida, according to media reports.
350 people killed
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), at least 350 people have been killed in Suweida since Sunday.
This violence is the first in Suweida province, which is majority Druze, since the April and May clashes between Druze and the new Syrian security forces that left dozens dead.
Before that, in the March conflicts in Syria’s coastal provinces, hundreds of members of the Alawite minority, former ruler Bashar al-Assad’s sect, were reportedly killed.
The deadly unrest, together with violent Israeli strikes, has again stirred fears of a security collapse in Syria, as the country grapples with the aftermath of more than a decade of civil war and the recent takeover of Damascus by Islamist rebels in December 2024.
The current Syrian leader, former jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa, has pledged to protect Syria’s minorities.
The Druze are an ethno-religious minority in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and the occupied Golan Heights. The Druze faith is a branch of Shia Islam with its own unique identity and beliefs.
Half of the roughly one million followers live in Syria, where they make up about three percent of the population.
The Druze community in Israel is largely considered loyal to the Israeli state, due to the participation of its members in military service.
According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, around 152.000 Druze live in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
An insecure position
Historically, they have held an insecure position in Syria’s political order. During nearly 14 years of civil war, the Druze maintained their own local police forces in southern Syria.
Since the fall of Assad’s regime in December, the Druze have resisted the state’s attempts to impose control over southern Syria. While Druze factions in Syria are divided in their approach to the new authorities, from caution to open rejection, many oppose the official Syrian security presence in Suweida and resist integration into the Syrian army, instead relying on local militias.
Despite the Syrian government condemning recent attacks on the Druze and promising to restore order in southern Syria, its forces have also been accused of attacking the minority. The United Kingdom (UK) based SOHR documented “summary executions” of Druze by government forces.
Such reports have fueled mistrust among some members of the Druze community toward the authorities in Damascus.
Following Assad’s sudden fall, Israel has reached out to the Druze near its northern border in an effort to build alliances with Syrian minorities. It is increasingly positioning itself as a regional protector of minorities, including Kurds, Druze, and Alawites in Syria, while simultaneously striking military sites in Syria and government forces.
During the sectarian clashes in May, Israel launched strikes near the presidential palace in Damascus, saying it was a warning against attacks on the Druze. However, some Druze figures in Syria and Lebanon accused Israel of stoking sectarian divisions to advance its own expansionist ambitions in the region.
The latest attacks have mainly served as a warning and deterrent to the Syrian army deploying in southern Syria, where Israel seeks to create a demilitarized zone. Israel is particularly concerned about the presence of Islamist fighters near its northern border, along the Golan Heights occupied by Israel.
Attacks broadcast live
While Israeli airstrikes on July 15th were limited to targeting security forces and vehicles in Suweida, on July 16th, the Israeli military expanded the scope of its attacks, hitting the Ministry of Defense and the Syrian army headquarters in Damascus. Syria condemned the attacks.
These strikes represent the most serious Israeli escalation in Syria since December 2024, when hundreds of military sites across the country were destroyed and a buffer zone under United Nations (UN) patrols on the Syrian Golan Heights was seized.
Israel has attacked Syria multiple times, aiming to prevent the new authorities from building military capabilities, seen as a potential threat to Israeli security.
The targeting of the Syrian military headquarters was broadcast live by a leading Syrian television station from its studio located across from the building, and the anchor was recorded fleeing the studio.
Several Arab states, including Lebanon, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, and Kuwait, condemned the Israeli attacks targeting the Syrian government and security forces. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned what it described as “blatant Israeli attacks” on Syria, while Iran called the attacks “all too predictable.”
The violence has underscored the fragility of Syria’s postwar security and political landscape, and the latest wave of violence is fueling fears of renewed sectarian attacks across Syria.
As Sharaa tries to establish control over Syria and unite its various groups, it remains to be seen whether his government will be able to reconcile the deeply rooted sectarian divisions in Syria, stoked by years of civil war.
Sectarian conflict, combined with Israeli strikes, threatens to derail efforts to build a state and achieve postwar recovery.
Photo: Al Jazeera
