Evacuation of Bodies and Civilians Completed in Syria’s Sweida After Clashes

Following clashes that began on July 13 in Sweida, southern Syria, the bodies of 26 people killed in the fighting, along with 360 civilians trapped in areas controlled by Druze leader Hikmet al-Hijri, have been evacuated.

According to Syria’s state television Al-Ikhbariya, the 360 civilians stranded in the city center, controlled by armed groups loyal to Hijri, were transported to temporary shelters via the Busra al-Sham road in Daraa province. Shadi al-Hasan, head of the Civil Defense Directorate, stated that approximately 31,000 people are currently housed in 79 temporary shelters, including 15 in rural Damascus and 64 in Daraa.

Meanwhile, Ahmed al-Dalati, the security chief of Sweida province, announced on July 24 that the evacuation process was completed with the removal of 200 people in the last convoy.

How Did the Clashes Begin?
The clashes in Sweida began on July 13 between Bedouin Arabs and some Druze groups. Syrian security forces intervening in the conflict were ambushed. The escalating clashes were temporarily halted by a ceasefire, but Druze forces loyal to Hikmet al-Hijri broke the truce.

On July 16, the Israeli military struck the Syrian Presidential Compound, the General Staff Headquarters, and the Ministry of Defense. As the Syrian army withdrew from Sweida, Hijri’s group began displacing Bedouin families and carrying out executions. Thousands of tribal fighters from outside the region arrived to support the Bedouin Arabs.

The Syrian administration began redeploying security forces in Sweida on July 19, ensuring the withdrawal of Bedouin and tribal fighters from the city.