The number of documented deaths in clashes in Syria’s southern Suwaida province has risen to 940, the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) reported.
The clashes erupted a week ago between an alliance of Bedouin Arab and tribal forces and some Druze groups.
The fatalities occurred between July 13 and 20, according to a statement released by SNHR.
The clashes, which were halted through mediation efforts by the Syrian government and foreign actors, initially began on July 13 with armed confrontations between Bedouin Arabs and Druze factions.
Syrian security forces dispatched to intervene were ambushed shortly after their arrival.
Although a ceasefire was brokered, it was later broken by Druze forces affiliated with the Hikmat al-Hijri militia.
The situation worsened on July 16 when the Israeli military conducted strikes near the Syrian presidential palace and on the General Staff headquarters and Defence Ministry.
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As Syrian troops withdrew from Suwayda, Hikmat al-Hijri began targeting Bedouin families with forced displacement and executions.
Thousands of tribal fighters reportedly entered the area from outside regions in support of the Bedouin Arabs.
On July 19, the Syrian government redeployed its forces to Suwayda and oversaw the withdrawal of Bedouin and tribal fighters from the city.
The true death toll remains uncertain, but observers believe the number casualties among armed groups and civilians may be significantly higher than current figures suggest.
Civilians evacuated
Meanwhile, the Syrian Interior Ministry has reached an agreement to evacuate civilians from the Suwaida province due to the ongoing security situation, the state-run news agency SANA reported Monday morning.
Ahmad al-Dalati, the province’s internal security chief, confirmed that the agreement followed intensive efforts by the Interior Ministry and “aims to facilitate the departure of civilians affected by the current conditions, ensuring their safety until the situation allows for a secure return to their homes.”
He added: “We are fully committed to securing the exit of all civilians needing to leave Suwaida.”
“We will also allow entry for those wishing to return, as part of our ongoing efforts to restore stability and safety in the province.”
To support this initiative, the ministry has imposed a security cordon around Suwayda. “We have enforced a security perimeter to secure the area and halt combat operations,” al-Dalati said. “This measure is critical to safeguarding the reconciliation path and reestablishing stability in the region.”
Later, the Daraa provincial authority announced on Telegram that “over 300 members of the tribes who wished to leave Suwayda province have exited.”
It added that “they will be sheltered in accommodation centers in Daraa province until the situation stabilises in Suwayda and a dignified return can be ensured.”
The province published photos of buses and private vehicles carrying departing citizens, including children, with the presence of Red Crescent personnel.
SANA reported that government buses had entered the city of Suwayda, the provincial capital, to evacuate 1,500 members of the Bedouin tribes.
Israeli Druze leader
In another related development, Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, appealed directly to U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday, urging him to intervene to protect the Druze population in southern Syria’s Suwaida province.
Tarif sent a message to Trump via the U.S. ambassador to Israel, expressing grave concern over what he described as a campaign of violence against Druze civilians by radical armed groups in Syria, according to Israeli media reports.
He claimed that Suwaida is witnessing what amounts to a genocide, calling on Washington to act swiftly to shield the vulnerable population.
Tarif warned that continued silence from the U.S. would be deeply troubling and could embolden further violence against minority communities in Syria.
