A fragile ceasefire in southern Syria appears to be holding following a week of deadly clashes in the city of Suwayda, where inter-communal fighting involving Druze groups and Bedouin tribal fighters left hundreds dead and sparked strong reactions from the international community, including Israel and the United States.
The Syrian Interior Ministry on Sunday confirmed that hostilities in Suwayda had ceased, with no reports of gunfire across the city.
The ministry attributed the calm to the deployment of security forces across the northern and western regions of Suwayda Governorate, which facilitated the evacuation of armed tribal factions from urban areas and brought a halt to fighting within residential neighborhoods.
The ceasefire, brokered on Saturday between the Syrian government, local Druze leaders, and Bedouin tribal representatives, has been cautiously welcomed, although communication with the province remains limited.
The United States has voiced deep concern over the violence. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday condemned the bloodshed and urged the Syrian government to prevent extremist elements from entering the area and committing atrocities.
Rubio stated that the U.S. has been actively engaged with regional stakeholders — including Israel, Jordan, and authorities in Damascus — in response to what he described as “horrifying and dangerous developments” in the south.
Rubio further warned that the continued slaughter and reported sexual violence against civilians must be stopped immediately.
Tensions escalated on Saturday when fighting flared again on Suwayda’s western outskirts, despite the ceasefire agreement. A statement from the Druze Spiritual Leadership expressed disappointment, accusing the opposing side of violating the truce.
The group appealed to the international community to intervene and end what it described as an ongoing “terrorist assault.”
The latest violence adds to the instability of Syria’s southern region, where fragile alliances and ethnic divisions have repeatedly flared into conflict over the past decade of war.
