The Syrian government confirmed a ceasefire in the city of Sweida on Sunday, after Druze groups regained control of the southern city and Syrian government forces redeployed to the area, which had witnessed sectarian violence that left nearly 1,000 dead in a single week.
Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba announced on Telegram that "the city of Sweida has been evacuated of all tribal fighters, and clashes within the city's neighborhoods have ceased."
Violence between Druze and Sunni Bedouins that erupted on July 13 in the southern Syrian province of Sweida has killed 940 people, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Earlier on Saturday, Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced a ceasefire, committing to "protecting minorities" and holding "violators" from any party accountable. He also announced the deployment of security forces to Sweida, according to Agence France-Presse.
The announcement came hours after Washington announced that Syria and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire.
The Pope affirmed that "the state, with all its political and security institutions, is continuing its efforts to restore security and stability in Sweida, and that the security forces will harness all their energies to end the attacks and infighting and restore stability to the province."
Sharaa had deployed his forces to Sweida on Tuesday, but withdrew them after Israel bombed several government targets in Damascus. Israel declared its intention to protect the Druze and expressed its sense of threat from the presence of Syrian government forces on its borders.
In a post on the X platform, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged the Syrian authorities to "hold accountable anyone guilty of committing atrocities and bring them to justice, including those within their ranks."
שתף את דעתך
The Syrian government confirms a "cessation" of fighting in Sweida.