Renewed Suwayda Clashes Kill Two, Dozens Injured as Druze Forces Fight Government

Renewed fighting in Suwayda

Heavy clashes erupted late Thursday into Friday between the Druze-led National Guard and Syrian government forces in western Suwayda, centered on the strategic Tal Hadid area. State media quoted unnamed security sources saying gunmen attacked government positions and that two attackers were killed and 16 wounded as security forces repelled an advance. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported artillery and heavy gunfire struck Tal Hadid, an industrial zone on al-Thaala Road, and nearby towns, saying two people were killed and more than 50 others — including women and children — were wounded. The National Guard accused government units of initiating the assault, alleging systematic attacks with drones and heavy weapons in breach of a 2025 de‑escalation deal; authorities have not publicly responded.

Context and significance

The clashes mark a fresh escalation despite a ceasefire brokered last July after one of the bloodiest waves of violence in the region. Suwayda has seen repeated tit-for-tat incidents in recent weeks — kidnappings, family disputes that turned deadly, and exchanges of fire between National Guard and regime forces — following heavy fighting in mid‑2025 that the SOHR said killed at least 1,339 people. The National Guard, formed in August 2025 under Druze leader Hikmat al‑Hijri, has demanded greater autonomy and integration for Druze fighters; a March 2025 agreement to integrate Druze personnel into state institutions has not been implemented. The new clashes underscore the fragility of local peace arrangements and rising tensions between Damascus and armed factions in southern Syria, as reported by Al-Monitor