News - Middle East: Armed forces affiliated with the ruling Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group have carried out violent attacks on the Druze minority in the Syrian southwestern provinces of Sweida and Dara'a.

A UK-based monitoring group reports that at least 37 people, including 27 Druze, among them two children, were killed in the fighting.

Syrian media confirmed heavy fighting in Suwayda and Dara'a, adding that armed clashes have led to the closure of the Damascus–Suwayda highway.

An anonymous Syrian regime source told AFP that authorities are deploying forces to de-escalate the situation.

Suwayda Governor Mustapha al-Bakur urged residents to exercise restraint and support national reform efforts.

Druze spiritual leaders have also called for calm and requested intervention from Damascus. State-run media outlet SANA reported that security forces have been deployed along the administrative borders of Dara’a and Suwayda to address the unrest.

 This is the first major outbreak of deadly violence in that region since April and May, when clashes between Druze fighters and HTS forces left dozens dead.

Since the fall of Syria's former government, concerns have been growing over the safety and rights of minorities under the HTS-led regime headed by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani.

A series of violent clashes also between HTS gunmen and members of a Druze community in Syria earlier left dozens of people dead and raised fears of deadly sectarian violence.

The Druze minority had a history of supporting the Assad government and standing against Israeli occupation and expansionist policies, including in the occupied Golan Heights.

The UK and EU have been gradually easing sanctions on Syria since early 2025. Recently, US President Donald Trump announced the lifting of all sanctions against Jolani’s administration in exchange for normalized relations with Israel.

Jolani has assured the US-led Western countries that Syria will “normalize relations” with Israel, recognize the regime, and exchange ambassadors by the end of 2026.

The HTS-led regime will reportedly hand over the occupied Golan Heights to Israel as part of a looming normalization deal with the illegal entity.

Source: Press TV