Politics Fighting in southern Syria despite ceasefire
Despite a ceasefire, new violence is breaking out in southern Syria. Fighting between militias of the Druze minority and government troops in Damascus left at least one person dead and seven injured, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The state television station Al-Ichbarija confirmed the fighting and stated that "lawless groups" had violated the ceasefire and attacked government troops.
03.08.2025, 15:50
SDA
Violence broke out last month between members of the Druze minority and Sunni tribal groups in the province of Suwaida. The government in Damascus sent troops to calm the situation according to its own account - but they were also accused of brutal acts of violence against the Druze. Neighboring Israel bombed targets in Syria with the aim of protecting the Druze.
The Observatory counted a total of around 1,400 fatalities in the escalation of the conflict. The figures from the London-based organization, which monitors the conflict in Syria with a network of activists, are generally considered reliable. According to UN figures, around 190,000 people have been displaced by the fighting.
There have also been isolated clashes in northern Syria. The Ministry of Defense in Damascus announced that its troops had prevented Kurdish militias from advancing near Manbij in the north. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by the Kurdish militias, had attacked a village there with rockets and injured several people. The government troops responded with "precise attacks". The SDF, on the other hand, accused the government troops of having "attacked residential areas for no reason", while their own troops had defended themselves.
More than half a year after the fall of ruler Bashar al-Assad, the new government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa has not succeeded in establishing stability in Syria. There have been several major battles, terrorist attacks and violence, including against the Alawite minority on Syria's Mediterranean coast.
