Ethnic Clashes in Syria’s Suwayda Signal Growing Chaos

Druze militias push back Assad’s forces amid Israeli airstrikes — regional tensions deepen as Turkey watches from a precarious position.

A violent escalation in southern Syria’s Druze-majority city of Suwayda has reignited fears of a new phase of civil conflict in the war-torn country. Within 24 hours of Syrian government forces entering Suwayda, fierce resistance from local Druze armed groups, compounded by Israeli airstrikes, forced the Assad regime’s troops into a hasty retreat.

The sudden outbreak of urban warfare highlights not only the fragility of Damascus’s internal control, but also the mounting risks of regional spillover. Israel’s deepening involvement and Turkey’s delicate position — balancing its own Kurdish peace process and deteriorating relations with Tel Aviv — add dangerous new layers to the conflict.

Israeli Airstrikes Tip the Balance

According to local reports, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) advanced into Suwayda backed by tanks and heavy weaponry, establishing control over the city center after a temporary ceasefire was brokered with Druze spiritual leaders. However, following a wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting Assad’s military positions — including tanks and command centers — Druze militias launched coordinated attacks from multiple fronts.

Overnight, the Druze Military Council announced it had regained full control of key government and security facilities, including the governor’s office, police stations, and major road junctions like Sahat al-Karama and Tishreen Crossroads. The Syrian army, having reportedly lost control of over 80% of Suwayda, was forced to withdraw many of its tanks and armored vehicles to Damascus under heavy fire.

Israel Defense Forces later released aerial footage of the strikes, showing direct hits on SAA military assets in Suwayda. The Israeli campaign came just as Druze fighters intensified their armed pushback.

Druze Fighters Cross From Israel

Adding further complexity, hundreds of Druze youths residing in Israel reportedly crossed the border into Syria to join the fighting in support of their ethnic kin. Footage aired by Israeli media showed Druze individuals cutting border fences and mobilizing toward Suwayda.

Simultaneously, protests erupted in northern Israel among the Druze community, condemning the Syrian government’s actions in Suwayda. Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli escalated tensions by calling for the “elimination” of Syria’s Interim President Ahmed al-Shara, triggering a diplomatic storm.

Reinforcements Mobilize Across Syria

Demonstrations in various Syrian cities condemned the Assad regime’s assault on Suwayda and denounced Israeli airstrikes. In Idlib, protests evolved into a mobilization, with armed convoys of pro-opposition militias heading toward Suwayda to support the Druze fighters.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—a Kurdish-led coalition backed by the U.S.—dispatched military reinforcements to their eastern front lines near Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa. While officially unaligned with the conflict in Suwayda, the SDF’s increased troop presence raises questions about broader security preparations.

Civilian Toll Mounts

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that 116 people had been killed in the clashes, including 48 from Druze militias and 52 from Assad regime forces. Local media, however, suggested the death toll may exceed 300 as fighting continues in the outskirts of the city.

Broader Geopolitical Implications

The Suwayda clashes come amid heightened tensions between Turkey and Israel, further complicating the regional calculus. Ankara has recently condemned Israel’s operations in Gaza and Lebanon, and is watching the Suwayda situation closely due to its ethnic dynamics and potential spillover effects.

For Turkey, the Syrian Druze unrest poses indirect risks to its own Kurdish peace process, which remains stalled. A renewed Syrian civil conflict could once again displace thousands toward Turkey’s borders and embolden radical Kurdish factions operating in northern Syria. The SDF’s movements near Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa are particularly sensitive, as Turkey considers the group an offshoot of the PKK, which Ankara classifies as a terrorist organization.

Observers warn that Ankara’s cautious approach could be upended if Syrian instability spills into Turkish-influenced zones in the north, or if the conflict exacerbates sectarian divisions among Syria’s mosaic of communities—Druze, Kurds, Alawites, Sunnis—all of which factor into Turkey’s long-term regional strategy.

Conclusion: Syria on the Brink, Again

The brief but intense battle in Suwayda underscores Syria’s deep-seated ethnic and sectarian fault lines, now further inflamed by Israeli air power and proxy dynamics involving multiple regional powers. With Assad’s control over the south weakening, and with external actors like Israel and Turkey watching closely, a renewed spiral of civil war is no longer unthinkable.

As Druze militias gain ground and international voices grow more volatile, the coming weeks may prove pivotal—not just for Syria, but for the entire Middle East balance of power.