Damascus/Jerusalem, July 15 A series of Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday targetted convoys of Syrian forces in and around the southern Syrian city of Sweida, killing and wounding several personnel, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and state media outlets.
The attacks included a strike on general security vehicles inside the city, and another at Sweida's western entrance that hit a Syrian army convoy, reportedly killing at least one soldier. A previous strike on Tuesday destroyed a Syrian army tank stationed within the city.
The airstrikes come amid a tense standoff following days of deadly clashes involving Druze factions, Bedouin tribes, and the Syrian interim government's forces.
Meanwhile, the Observatory said that 15 people were either wounded or killed in an attack by armed men wearing security forces' uniforms on a guesthouse belonging to the Radwan family in Sweida. The incident couldn't be independently verified.
The escalating situation prompted Syrian defence authorities to begin withdrawing heavy military vehicles that entered Sweida earlier on Tuesday. State-run al-Ikhbariya TV reported that tanks and armoured vehicles were withdrawn from residential areas in an apparent effort to de-escalate.
Later, Murhaf Abu Qasra, chief of the Syrian defence authorities, declared a full ceasefire across Sweida. In a statement posted on X, he said: "We have ordered a complete ceasefire for all units operating within the city of Sweida after reaching an agreement with local elders and dignitaries."
Abu Qasra said that forces will respond only to active fire and confirmed that armed police have begun deploying to enforce discipline, Xinhua news agency reported. He also said that control of the city's neighbourhoods will be transferred to internal security forces once clearing operations are completed.
Shortly after the ceasefire announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz acknowledged that they had instructed the military to strike Syrian forces in Sweida, claiming to protect the Druze population there.
In a joint statement, Netanyahu and Katz said they ordered the military to "immediately strike" Syrian forces and weapons in the area to "prevent the Syrian regime from harming" the Druze community, due to "the deep fraternal alliance with the Druze citizens of Israel and their familial and historical ties to the Druze in Syria."
The Israeli military said in a separate statement that it struck Syrian armoured vehicles and rocket launchers. It said convoys of Armoured Personnel Carriers and tanks were identified on Monday evening moving toward Sweida, and that access routes were also targeted "in order to disrupt their arrival in the area."
The military added that it "continues to monitor developments and remains prepared for defence and various scenarios."
The developments follow an intense wave of violence that has left over 99 people dead and more than 200 injured, according to the Observatory. The casualties include 60 Druze civilians -- among them two women and two children, 18 Bedouins, 14 soldiers of the interim government, and 7 unidentified individuals wearing military attire.
On Monday, defence authorities spokesperson Hassan Abdel Ghani said 18 soldiers were killed and others wounded in a "treacherous attack" by armed groups.
The clashes were initially triggered by the assault and robbery of a Druze youth by armed Bedouins at a makeshift checkpoint near al-Masmiyah. In response, Druze fighters kidnapped several Bedouins, igniting days of urban conflict.
Despite official declarations of calm, the atmosphere in Sweida remains volatile. Influential Druze religious leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri released a video Monday rescinding his earlier endorsement of the army's entry, claiming his previous remarks were made under pressure and calling on Druze communities to resist "by all available means."
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