Syria withdraws army from Sweida after Israel bombs Damascus • FRANCE 24 English

Could Sueder finally see a return to calm? Convoys of government forces were pulling out of the southern Syrian city on Wednesday night. Deep in the Drews heartland, fighting ripped through Sueder starting on Monday with local militias battling both Bedawin tribesmen after an outbreak of tit fortat violence and the government forces sent in to restore order. Those regulars, however, were accused of joining forces with Bedawin combatants and attacking the Drews inhabitants. On top of reports of executions and other abuses, it reinforced deep-seated Drew’s mistrust of the Islamist authorities who took over the country late last year. With tattered ceasefires still, even Israel with a sizable Drews population of its own became involved. It struck Syrian forces in and around Sueda in an effort not just to protect the Drews, but ensure the regular Syrian forces it sees as little more than extremists are unable to gain a tow hold near its borders and Syrian territory it occupies. As such, Israel extended air strikes to Damascus on Wednesday, hitting both the Syrian Defense Ministry and a military target near the presidential palace. a major sign of the escalation against the country’s Islamist authorities. It may yet prove to be their greatest challenge since they ousted Bashar al-Assad late last year. The Syrian government does not control all armed groups inside uh Syria and there’s a fragmentation in the command and uh uh and control and many of the fighters want to uh commit violations and revenge against many of Syria’s minorities. Worst case scenario is total fragmentation inside Syria and the collapse of the legitimacy of the current government. The question now is whether or not interim leader Ahmed al- Shar can prove he can unite Syria and protect all its minorities and if those same minorities trust him and his government enough to do so.

Syria’s army began withdrawing from violence-hit Sweida on Wednesday after Israeli strikes on Damascus and US calls for a pullback from the Druze-majority city, state media said. Washington, which seeks to mend ties with Syria, said a deal was reached to restore calm and urged all sides to uphold commitments.
##Syria #Damascus #Sweida

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43 comments

  11. now where are the people saying Israel shouldn't be doing what they're doing against the Islamic regime of Syria?

  25. Terrorists disguise as Syrian Liberatiors are attacking the area of Druze and Christian Minorities. The IDF is the only Army in the area that truly depends them

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