Escalation in Syria: Hundreds of deaths in fighting between Druze and Bedouins

Escalation in Syria: Hundreds of deaths in fighting between Druze and Bedouins

Suweida, Syrien - The conflict in Syria, especially in the province of Suwaida, assumes dramatic proportions. According to current reports, over 250 people have been killed in the past few days, including fewer than 100 soldiers of the Syrian army, which heats up violent. The situation is heading after Israel bombed the military headquarters in Damascus in order to react to the increasing violence against the Drusen in southern Syria. Two people were injured in these air strikes, while the druses suffer from brutal attacks and arbitrary executions. The human rights organizations confirm that the conflict has triggered a new wave of acts of violence that are reminiscent of the terrible events since the 2011 civil war, as the increase in executions and attacks on civilians documented in the past few days. According to [Black Forest Bote] (https://www.schwarzwaelder-bote.de/inhalt.get-in-Syria-kivisten-der-todesopfer-in-Syria-rit- ueber-Ueber-Ueber-Ueber-Ueber-Ueber-Ueber-Ueber-Ueber-UeB03-4325-BB85-D943516087B3) on the plan to regain control over Suwaida.

What is the trigger of this violence? The conflict was initiated by a robbery on a Drusian greengrocer. This led to kidnapping and retaliation actions that further tighten the tensions between the druses and Sunni Bedouins. According to the Tagesschau, the Drusenführer reject cooperation with the Syrian government because they are afraid of further repression. The security status of the Drusen and other minorities in the region is on the brink, which is also evident due to the predicament in the local hospitals that are on the verge of collapse due to the overload.

The role of Israel

Israel observes the situation with an arsia and sees itself as a responsibility to protect the Druze, which also serve in the Israeli military. The Israeli Minister of Defense has asked the Syrian government to leave the Drusen in Suwaida alone. The druses are considered potential allies against Iran, which further increases the geopolitical explosiveness of the conflict. At the same time, the DW calls on not to carry out any further attacks on Syrian troops, which underlines the fragility of regional relationships.

The escalation has fled many civilians, while others stay in their own four walls and fight for their survival. Excess reports of looting and vandalism reach us from Suwaida, where the authorities advise the residents to stay in their houses. This also goes hand in hand with the fact that more and more druses from Israel are trying to cross the border with Syria to help their compatriots.

an increasingly complex conflict

The tensions in the region are not new, but show deeply rooted denominational cracks that exist since the civil war. Above all, the Drusen, which count around 700,000 in Syria and mostly live in Suwaida, fear for their security. According to reports, around 150 government soldiers and security forces have lost their lives, while the Drusen suffer from an enormous wave of violence that also includes suicide bombings and other difficult attacks. Earlier acts of violence, such as the massacre on the Alawites, made just as clear as Fragil's security situation in Syria is.