Syria: At least 89 people have been killed in southern Syria amid clashes between members of Bedouin Sunni tribes and the Druze community, a war monitor said Monday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the fatalities occurred in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, with 46 of the deceased being Druze fighters. Additionally, four civilians from Sweida, 18 Bedouin fighters, 14 security personnel, and seven unidentified individuals in military uniform were also among the dead.

According to Deutsche Welle, the military’s Arabic language spokesman Avichay Adraee announced on X that Israeli forces struck “several tanks a short while ago in the area of Sami village (in the Sweida region) in southern Syria.” Israel has a history of intervening in Syria, citing the protection of the Druze religious minority as a reason. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have stated that Israel will not permit any threats to the Druze community. The Druze make up a significant portion of the population in Syria, with the majority of the worldwide Druze community residing there. The remaining Druze live predominantly in Lebanon and Israel, including the Golan Heights.

The latest violence follows a series of kidnappings, including the abduction of a Druze merchant on the highway between Sweida and Damascus. Reuters, citing witnesses, reported that security forces have been deployed to the area, as confirmed by the state-run SANA news agency. The Syrian Interior Ministry, alongside the Ministry of Defense, has initiated direct intervention to resolve the conflict and restore security. The Ministries have blamed the escalation on the absence of official institutions and the local community’s inability to contain the crisis.

The unrest has disrupted daily life, causing secondary school exams scheduled for Monday in Sweida to be postponed and leading to the closure of the Damascus-Sweida highway. Before the onset of Syria’s civil war in 2011, Sweida was home to approximately 700,000 Druze members. Sectarian tensions between Bedouin and Druze factions have occasionally surfaced, fueled by a longstanding feud.

Since the overthrow of Syrian leader Bashar Assad by Islamist-led rebels in December last year, the new government has faced challenges in maintaining security in the diverse country. Concerns persist over the protection of minority groups’ rights under the new regime. Previous clashes between Druze militants and government forces concluded with agreements to contain violence and integrate Druze fighters into the government. However, fears of sectarian strife have persisted, particularly following the deaths of hundreds of Alawite community members, which appeared to be retaliatory actions against supporters of the ousted leader.