Following weeks of fighting and a US-brokered ceasefire, the heavily fortified Bedouin tribes of Syria have announced their withdrawal from Suwayda, the city where the majority of the Druze live.
More than 250 people were killed in the clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Muslim clans, which put the country’s already fragile post-war transition at risk.
In addition, Israel carried out numerous airstrikes against government forces in the southern province of Suwayda, which had in effect sided with the Bedouins.
Additionally, the fighting caused a number of sectarian attacks on the Druze, which were followed by Bedouin revenge attacks.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has come to be perceived as more sympathetic to the Bedouins, tried to make contact with the Druze while maintaining his criticism of its fighters. He later urged the Bedouins to leave the city, claiming that they “cannot replace the state’s role in handling the country’s affairs and restoring security.”
As government security forces and military police were stationed on the outskirts of Suwayda on Sunday to supervise their exit from the province, there were dozens of armed Bedouins and other clans who were supporting them. The Bedouin fighters accused Druze groups of harming Bedouin families and placed their blame on Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri’s spiritual leader.
On Monday, the Syrian government began evacuating Bedouin families who were residing in Suwayda.
The government and some Suwayda officials worked together to evict about 1,500 Bedouins from the city, according to Syrian state media on Sunday. Because fighting has largely stopped and efforts are being made for a complete ceasefire, Interior Minister Ahmad al-Dalati stated to the SANA news agency that the initiative will also allow displaced civilians from Suwayda to return.
Source: Aljazeera
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