Syria announced on July 16 that its troops began retreating from violent Sweida after waves of Israeli attacks on the capital and US appeals to government forces.
The US, a close ally with Israel and is about to restart relations with Syria, said it had reached an agreement to gently recover in the region, urging it to “fulfill the commitments made by all political parties.”
The Syrian regime previously announced a new ceasefire in Sweida. This would halt military operations there after a clash that since July 13th, where War Monitor said more than 300 people have been killed.
Syrian HTS-led forces “started withdrawing from Sweida city after the outlaw group’s city sweep has concluded,” a statement from the Ministry of Defense said.
The statement did not mention the withdrawal of other security forces deployed to the city on July 15 with the stated purpose of overseeing an earlier ceasefire agreed with Druze community leaders after a fatal battle with local Bedouins.
But the ceasefire seemed little ineffective, but witnesses reported that the administration had joined the Bedouins as it fought through the city and attacked Druze fighters and civilians in a bloody rampage.
The Syrian Human Rights War Monitor said violence in Sweida has killed more than 300 people, including government forces, local fighters and 27 Druze civilians killed in “summary enforcement.”
rhm/