Syrian government denies its forces preparing to redeploy to Sweida city

18/7/2025 17:47

Syria's interior ministry spokesperson said on Friday that government forces were not preparing to deploy to Sweida Province, the state news agency reported.



Noureddin al-Baba denied a Reuters report citing an interior ministry media officer as saying security forces were preparing to redeploy to Druze-majority Sweida city to quell fighting involving Bedouin tribes and the Druze, part of a religious minority in Syria that has followers in Lebanon and Israel.



A fragile truce was holding in Syria's south on Friday after a ceasefire announced on Wednesday briefly ended days of fighting that began when Bedouin and Druze fighters clashed in Sweida province in southern Syria, prompting the Syrian government to send in troops.



The clashes drew in Israel, which said it would not allow Syria's Islamist-led government to deploy troops to the south. Israel hit Syrian troops in Sweida and Syria's defence ministry, and struck close to the presidential palace in Damascus.



Syrian troops withdrew from Sweida after the truce was announced but clashes resumed late on Thursday between the tribal Bedouin fighters and the Druze.

Israel's military carried out new attacks in Sweida province overnight.