The Druze insurgency in Southern Syria is an ongoing insurgency in Southern Syria carried out by Druze militias against the Syrian transitional government in early 2025 after the fall of the Assad regime.
The Druze insurgency in Southern Syria is an ongoing insurgency in Southern Syria carried out by Druze militias against the Syrian transitional government in early 2025 after the fall of the Assad regime.
The Druzes remained neutral during the Syrian civil war, There are communities in Lebanon, Israel and Golan Heights, representing about three percent of Syria's population. [39]
In February 2025, local sources in Syria's Quneitra Governorate reported to Al Arabiya alleging that that the IDF had extended "tempting offers" of employment opportunities to residents of Syria. [40]
Tensions continued in late April 2025 after the spread of an offensive audio recording allegedly containing blasphemous content against the Prophet Muhammad, allegedly attributed to a Druze scholar named Marwan Kiwan, who disavowed it. [41]
On 28 February 2025, unidentified armed individuals fired upon a vehicle carrying Druze civilians traveling on a road leading to Damascus International Airport within Jaramana. Two elderly individuals suffered injuries in this attack, and were both hospitalized. [42]
The following day, on 1 March, clashes broke out between Syrian caretaker government forces and local Druze armed groups responsible for community protection in Jaramana, during the security operation launched by Syrian authorities on the suburb. Members of the Jaramana Shield Brigade were involved in the clashes. During a violent altercation which erupted in Al-Seuof Square between two General Security Service members and local armed residents, one local gunman sustained serious injuries, requiring hospitalization, while authorities took the two security personnel into custody. [39] [42]
In the clash at Al-Seuof Square, the wounded local gunman was taken to Al-Mujtahed Hospital for medical treatment. But Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants arrived at the hospital where the situation escalated when one of the wounded man's escorts allegedly made blasphemous remarks about Allah. This prompted members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham present at the hospital to physically assault and subsequently detain the companions. [42]
The clashes ended on 2 March 2025, after the entry of General Security Service into Jaramana. [43]
The incidents began in Jaramana at approximately 2:00 a.m. on 28 April 2025, when an unidentified group opened fire on a local militia checkpoint near the "Al-Naseem" intersection at the entrance of Jaramana. Gunfire continued and intensified around 4:00 a.m., leading to the deaths of at least two members of the security forces and six residents of the city. Over ten others were injured in the initial wave of violence. [44]
On 29 April 2025, clashes expanded to the Druze-majority towns of Sahnaya and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya. Armed groups attacked multiple security checkpoints using machine guns and RPGs. [45] Hussam Waruar, the head of the Sahnaya Municipality, was killed along with his son on 1 May by unidentified gunmen. [46] The unidentified groups killed the Druze leader, Wajdi al-Hajj Ali, who was shot in the head and died on 30 April 2025 before reaching the hospital. [47]
Clashes erupted between Sweida factions, and armed groups gathered around the village of Kanaker, west of Sweida. This coincided with clashes in the towns of Ira, Rasas and al-Soura al-Kabira. [48] The shrine and museum of Issam Zahreddine, a late Druze military officer and former commander of the Syrian Republican Guard, was vandalized and burned in al-Soura al-Kabira. [49] General security vehicles were ambushed on 7 May by what state media called "outlaw groups" affiliated with the Suwayda Military Council. [50] Druze leader, Hikmat al-Hijri, declared that "There is no consensus between us and the Damascus government". [51]
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, The Ministry of Defense executed civilians at a poultry farm outside the town of Sahnaya. [52]
The SOHR stated that the Ministry of Defense ambushed Druze coming from Suwayda towards Sahnaya, resulting in 43 deaths. [27] Some of the bodies were burned and others mutilated while the perpetrators (from the Ministry of Interior) reportedly chanted anti-Druze slogans. [53]
The violence began after a Druze vegetable merchant was assaulted by members of Bedouin tribes after they set up an improvised roadblock. [54] [55]
The clashes spread to at-Tira, al-Mazraa, and as-Sawra al-Kabira. [56] A video was released showing a General Security vehicle, including a person making sectarian statements, declaring his participation in the conflict. [57] Israeli aircraft were seen conducting low-altitude flights over the western countryside of Suwayda, deploying flares. [58]
The Syrian Minister of Defense announced that a ceasefire had been reached with Druze spiritual leadership In Suwayda to cooperate with the Interior and Defense Forces and to surrender their weapons, [59] though it was denied by Hikmat al-Hijri who declared that he would "resist this brutal campaign by all available means." [60] The group Men of Dignity announced over 50 of their members killed or injured in Suwayda clashes. [61]
On 16 July 2025, Israel conducted airstrikes on several government buildings in Damascus, including the Syrian military headquarters. [62] There were protests in Jaramana with protestors chanting slogans against president Ahmed al-Sharaa and his government. [63] The Mar Mikhael Church in the town of as-Sawra al-Kabira was robbed, vandalized, and burned. [64] Clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters were also reported in the western countryside of Rif Dimashq Governorate. [65] The Syrian government declared a ceasefire, the Druze leadership and Bedouin tribes approved it. [66]
Israel took advantage of the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime to extend its occupation of the Golan Heights — Syrian territory partly taken by Israel in 1967 — by several hundred square miles