BEIRUT (Dispatches) -- Armed clashes broke out in the southern Syrian city of Sweida after tribal militias affiliated with extremist leader Abu Muhammad al-Jolani launched coordinated attacks on several Druze-held areas, according to local Syrian sources.
The violence reportedly targeted the Reema Hazem and Mazraa districts of Sweida, a majority-Druze city that has largely remained autonomous amid Syria’s wider conflict. Local defense groups composed of Druze residents responded forcefully, repelling the assault in intense exchanges of fire.
Sources on the ground said the attacking militias used artillery and mortars to shell the village of Atil, striking from both Reema Hazem and Mazraa axes. Casualty numbers remain unconfirmed, and communication with the area remains limited due to ongoing security concerns.
The renewed violence follows a series of escalating tensions in and around Sweida, which has seen sporadic unrest in recent months fueled by economic hardship, political grievances, and external meddling.
Meanwhile, in eastern Syria, reports emerged of clashes between the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and fighters loyal to Jolani along the western banks of the Euphrates River in Dayr al-Zawr province. Details on the scope and outcome of those confrontations remain unclear as of this writing.
Jolani, the former Al-Qaeda affiliate and current head of the militant group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has increasingly sought to extend influence beyond his base in Idlib, a strategy that has brought him into conflict with other armed factions and local defense forces across Syria.
Analysts suggest the recent attacks in Sweida may be part of a broader campaign to destabilize the south, where Druze communities have long resisted external domination, whether from the HTS regime or radical militant groups.
Observers warn that any escalation in the historically quiet province could have broader implications for Syria’s fragmented security landscape, especially as foreign-backed groups maneuver for control in the country’s periphery.