File image.
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa early on July 17 confirmed the withdrawal of all government forces from al-Suwayda and accused Israel of pursuing “chaos and destruction” after it launched strikes in support of Druze in the southern governorate.
Government forces intervened in al-Suwayda on July 14, a day after clashes broke out there between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouins. The government said that it sent the military and security forces to end the conflict. However, it ended up leading a large-scale offensive against the Druze.
Israel launched strikes in support of the Druze, whom it vowed to protect after the fall of the Assad regime last December, and escalated on July 16, going as far as targeting the presidential palace and the headquarters of the defense ministry in Damascus.
After taking heavy losses, reportedly more than 700 fatalities, the government withdrew from al-Suwayda overnight, and Druze fighters re-entered the city.
In his first televised statement after the withdrawal, Sharaa addressed Druze citizens, saying, “We reject any attempt to drag you into the hands of an external party.”
“We are not among those who fear war. We have spent our lives facing challenges and defending our people, but we have put the interests of the Syrians before chaos and destruction,” he said in remarks addressed at Israel.
Sharaa went on in his early morning speech to stress that the Syrian people were ready to fight if their dignity is threatened.
The Syrian President also alleged that “the Israeli entity resorted to a wide-scale targeting of civilian and government facilities.”
This led to a “significant complication of the situation and pushed matters to a large-scale escalation, except for the effective intervention of American, Arab and Turkish mediation, which saved the region from an unknown fate,” he added.
Sharaa vowed that those behind violence against the Druze minority, which led Israel to intervene, would be held responsible.
“We are keen on holding accountable those who transgressed and abused our Druze people, as they are under the protection and responsibility of the state,” Sharaa said.
The Syrian leader told the Druze community it was “a fundamental part of the fabric of this nation… protecting your rights and freedom is one of our priorities.”
Videos from al-Suwadya and its countryside show the dead bodies of dozens of Druze civilians, including elderly, women and children, who were reportedly executed by government forces before the withdrawal. They also show much destruction in the city, where mass looting clearly took place.
The footage mirrors the massacres that took place on the Syrian coast during a government crackdown on an uprising by the Alawites last March. At the time, more than 1,600 Alawite civilians were killed by government forces. The government promised to investigate and hold the perpetrators responsible, but none of these promises have materialized yet.
The number of casualties in al-Suwayda may be as high. It is also very doubtful that any of the perpetrators will be held accountable by the government, which sent them to the Druze-majority governorate in the first place.
All in all, the defeat in al-Suwayda was a blow to Syria’s Islamist-led government. Sharaa’s image was heavily damaged, both as a national leader, because he failed to protect the Druze, and as an Islamist leader, because he was attacked by Israel without fighting back.
It is unclear how the situation evolves from here. However, al-Suwayda is now a Druze-ruled autonomous region. The Syrian government will not likely be able to restore control over the governorate any time soon.
Same goes with the areas controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the governorates of Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir Ezzor and al-Hasakah in northern and eastern Syria. The Kurds, who are more armed and organized than the Druze, will not likely accept any cooperation with government forces after the events on the coast and al-Suwayda.
Meanwhile, the situation on the coast will not likely change for the time being, as Alawites lack the support both the Druze and Kurds have.
As for Syria’s talks with Israel, they will likely go on as Sharaa has no other real option. Another confrontation with Israel could mark the end of his government.
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how do turkish alawites and lebanese christians comment on the fact that 2,000 israeli druze civilians went to syria to defend the syrian druze?
how do russian traitorous christians comment on putler’s betrayal of armenia and syria?
assad made a deal with the arabs, this is the deal.
you can blame russia for not controlling syrian politics, but that is another matter all together.
russia can’t interact with parties that don’t exist. it has relations with whoever is in power, as it did at the time of assad. it is a really consistent and easily understood position they’ve not changed
i don´t know if you´re turk…but modern turks are more lost than russian liberals! lmao… lebanon still a safehome for christians in mena… and any israeli attempt to destroy won´t go unnoticed by christians! so they won´t try it!
the christains have no political power, everything in the west is under the control of the jewish oligarchs.
just look how the jews treat the christians in the west bank.
living legend ghassan alian thank you.
eternal glory to you, commander, you are worthy of admiration, all druze, both israeli and syrian.
2000 heroic israeli druze are heroically crossed the border to defend the syrian druze.
zionists will happily fight to the last druze lol
how do russian traitorous christians comment on putler’s betrayal of armenia and syria? ghassan alian pride and success statute must be placed on the summit of mount hermon, if nowhere else.
a bulimic raped israeli woman… so sad your society became so evil! israel, the rape capital of the world!
mia is an ai bot
armenia elected one anti russian government after another, what does that have to do with the russians?
admittedly, the russians are naive and should control and manipulate all the surrounds shitstans and dumbocratic states but that isn’t putins way. putin is like some character in dr zhavago, he has beliefs and ideological convictions, none of which serve russia very well.
have you had a mental health check recently? you prolly should.
“mia” are you indian?
naw, mia is just retarded…
mia… go ask them yourself, and bring a body bag for convienience sake..
even s.f become zionist supporters….
how will the turkish alawites present the fact that more than two thousand civilians from the israeli druze sect illegally crossed the border into syria to defend the syrian druze?
putin said israel is almost a “russian speaking country” lmao… russia never really opposed israel
how will the iranians and russians present the dirty betrayal of the syrian alawites and christians to their voters?
lay the blame for the destruction of syria where it belongs – the jooz and their western goy stooges and the quisling arab regimes. many russians and iranians died defending syria – but the syrian leadership thought they could do a deal with their enemies. they were wrong.
the “one day” war…lmao this is the “almighty” hts army who will invade lebanon? puppets will be puppets and die like they deserve it! the only shame continues to be russian bases in a hts country… remove the base yesterday and bomb the bastards salafis!
russia should have never intervend in this shit “country”… mena is a lost region! let the crazies be there! salafis, zionists, fake shias… let them fight for it! it´s not a russia war!
works of erdoboys
the syrian govt played right into israel’s hands by allowing such a massacre to happen. now all israel has to do is offer the syrian druze protection and integration into its sphere of influence.
when i heard al qaeda syria could invade lebanon i laugh hard, other drumpf hysterical dream! if the “almighty” idf can´t take gaza! even with a genocide! i remember idf trying to invade lebanon (and failing, again!) the maximum was 2 to 5 km and retreat! al qaeda syria is made of weaklings that putin had mercy and put on those green buses! well, bad decisions led to consequences!
idf was stronger in 1967/1973/1982… they reached the sinai and menaced cairo! they reached beirut! idf today can´t advance 4 or 5 km without retreating crying… army is the most important part of an armed forces, it´s the army that takes and mantain land! western armies are made of cowards and weaklings! and israel is a western base with nukes
dimona 31.001504°n, 35.146723°e
eilabun 32.760226°n, 35.412077°e
kfar zekharya 31.766267°n, 34.88142°
nahal soreq 31.766267°n, 34.88142°e
yodefat 32.85093°n, 35.27916°e
tirosh 31.751963°n, 34.863524°e
iranian nukes are at these coordinates…ops… not iranian…
one thing we must give the credit for israel: they make very good weapons for a western country! arrow and david sling (iron dome are for palestinian kids) are way better than patriot and thaad, jericho, the israeli icbm, puts the obsolete minuteman in shame… merkava are better than any european tank… in the airframes area israel isn´t very good… still dependent of pappa usa
they don’t make anything. it is all 100% funded by the stupid goy taxpayer. and a lot of their weapons are produced in the jewsa or rely 100% on them for parts. everything is 100% gratis, like the 6 dolphin nuclear missile submarines, courtesy of the german taxpayer at a billion euros a pop. or the merkava tank programme, arrow missiles, 100% paid for by the jewsa taxpayer. jericho – free gift from the frogs. zio air force – 350 f15/ f16/ f35, all completely free. get real.
weapons do not improve the earth . they destroy it . any child can see this
iranian “government” condemned the “israeli attack” on “innocent” hts syria! well… everyday iran became a joke… really? iranians are also more lost than russian liberals and turks… lmao
these cowards are not worth the spit on their face.
dump now sings: “ghassan alian is worth more than jolani’s three brigades. where alian and his brothers went, jolani could never go again. hts now be careful not to step on the snake. and mount hermon has become a nightmare for erodgan.”
ghassan alian, a renowned idf commander and israeli druze, defeated hts. thank you, general. eternal glory to you, commander, for defeating the turkish sultan erdogan.
eternal glory and thank you idf comandante ghassan alian. all the big and eternal glory of the heroes druze and thank both of all. congratulations, genius and heroes the druze have completely defeated turkish sultan erdogan. thank you idf and the druze gentlemen and heroes.
thanks for all the great video southfront! what happened to these people needs to be seen.
looks completely formulaic, invade the area israel wants, kill random civilians on israel’s orders, withdraw and let israel move in and claim to protect civilians. jolani will mumble about opposing israel, while surrendering damascus to israel
” which saved the region from an unknown fate” lol, your fate is not unknown, israel would crush you with barely any effort! i hope druze will be able to fight back successfully against erdoganist isis savages!
may be if he were humble and smart enough he could ask iran for help so he could restore sovereignity over all his country and his reputation.
the us- and israeli-led islamist regime in syria is doing what is best for israel and the us. it is driving the division of the syrian ethnic groups, which is very beneficial to the us and israel. a united and independent syria is the last thing israel and the us want.
israel busy on building their david corridor, major steps into greater israel, as always build on massacres
un elected israel owns syria now , and has for months . they have plans .