Ceasefire in Sweida: A Fragile Calm in Syria's Southern Conflict

Syria's armed Bedouin clans announced their withdrawal from Sweida on Sunday, following a US-brokered ceasefire that ended more than a week of intense clashes with the Druze religious minority. The conflict resulted in hundreds of deaths and threatened Syria's delicate postwar transition.

The violence began with a series of tit-for-tat kidnappings in Sweida province, escalating into a broader conflict between Druze militias and Sunni Muslim clans, complicated further by Israeli airstrikes targeting government forces allied with the Bedouins. Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, while sympathetic to the Bedouins, pressed them to exit Sweida, emphasizing the role of the state in maintaining order.

The withdrawal has brought tentative calm, allowing humanitarian aid to reach the province amid power shortages and destruction. US envoy Tom Barrack called for an immediate end to hostilities, warning that Syria stands at a crucial crossroads in its journey toward peace and reconciliation.

(With inputs from agencies.)