From the Liveblog of
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Syrian state media claims new Bedouin offensive came after armed Druze killed Bedouin civilians
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleNurit Yohanan is The Times of Israel's Palestinian and Arab world correspondent
In recent hours, Syrian state media has claimed that armed Druze groups in the Sweida region of southern Syria are carrying out massacres against Bedouins living in the area.
The Syrian state news agency, Sana, publishes footage of displaced Bedouins fleeing the area and reporting that Druze massacred civilians in the Al-Maqwas neighborhood of Sweida. Following these reports, Bedouins in the region announced they were launching a counterattack against the Druze.
Last night, the Syrian government and some Druze forces announced a ceasefire. However, some Druze declared they would not comply with it. It was also reported that Syrian regime forces have begun withdrawing from the Sweida area after entering it in recent days in response to the unrest.
مجموعات خارجة عن القانون ترتكب مجازر بحق المدنيين وأبناء العشائر في ريف السويداء
????https://t.co/LsVXBHMI5U#السويداء #سانا pic.twitter.com/tkHfHdEZOY
— الوكالة العربية السورية للأنباء – سانا (@Sana__gov) July 17, 2025
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