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Druze fighters, led by the al-Suwayda Military Council, pushed back tribal forces away from the city of al-Suwayad by July 18 afternoon, with no support from Israel.
Tribal forces announced a general mobilization and marched on al- Suwayda late on July 17, just hours after the withdrawal of all forces of Syria’s Islamist-led government from the governorate under Israeli strikes. The tribes claimed that the Druze displaced Sunni Bedouin locals in al-Suwayda after the withdrawal of government forces.
Israel had vowed to protect the Druze following the fall of the regime of former President Bashar Al-Assad last December, citing historic relations with its own Druze community.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a London-based monitoring group, said that tribal forces were pushed back by Druze fighters some four kilometers to the west of the city. Interestingly, the Druze fought for the most part on their own, without any air support from Israel.
Although there is still no clear death toll, tribal forces are said to have taken heavy losses. On the other hand, major violations, including abductions and summary executions of Druze civilians, were reported in the towns occupied by the forces.
While the situation appears to be in favor of the Druze, Hebrew media reported that the Israeli Air Force was preparing to launch strikes if the presence of government troops among tribal forces was confirmed. The SOHR already reported that troops from the military and security forces, including officers, were fighting with the tribes.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that the government was preparing to deploy security forces to al-Suwayda to separate the two sides. This was, however, denied by the government.
All in all, the battle in al-Suwayda is still far from over. Tribal forces are bringing in reinforcements by the hour. On the other side, the Druze will not back down as they fear a major massacre. Israel from its side appears to have its own agenda, one that possibly include setting up a satellite Druze state in al-Suwayda.
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