More than 1,500 Bedouins evacuated in southern Syria

Beirut (EFE).- Syrian authorities evacuated around 1,500 Bedouin civilians on Monday from the southern city of Al-Suwayda, following a fragile ceasefire agreement that seeks to end more than a week of intense intercommunal clashes.

“Syrian Civil Defense teams transferred approximately 1,500 civilians, mostly women, children, and elderly people, who had been trapped in Al-Suwayda to shelters in rural areas of Deraa,” said Emergency Minister Raed al-Saleh on social media platform X.

At least ten people with serious injuries were also transported to hospitals for urgent treatment, he added.

Clashes between Bedouins and Druzes trigger humanitarian crisis

The evacuations come after days of violent confrontations between Bedouin clans and local Druze militias, reportedly sparked by the robbery of a Druze businessman.

The incident escalated into broader clashes that left civilians from both communities caught in the crossfire.

Convoys carrying the evacuees departed under heavy security, with Syrian government forces deployed around the provincial capital to prevent further outbreaks of violence, according to the official Syrian news agency SANA.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that the evacuations began as the ceasefire entered what it described as a “fully implemented phase,” raising cautious hopes that the warring factions might now adhere to the truce.

Early ceasefire violations amid displacement fears

Despite the formal ceasefire, tensions remain high.

Local activist network Suwayda24 and the Syrian Observatory both reported continued skirmishes and at least one drone attack, early signs that the ceasefire could unravel, as in previous attempts.

Fighting between the communities erupted eight days ago and drew in Syrian government forces, who opened a second front as local factions resisted army advances.