Late on Wednesday evening, Swedish time, the Syrian Ministry of Defense announced that they had begun to recall soldiers from Sweida in the southern part of the country. According to the US, an agreement to "restore calm" in the area has been established between the parties.
In a televised speech, Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa thanks American, Arab, and Turkish mediators for "saving the region from an unknown fate". According to al-Sharaa, local groups will now be responsible for security in Sweida, reports the state-controlled news agency Sana.
Over 350 people have been killed in clashes in the area since Sunday, according to the British-based Syrian Human Rights Observatory (SOHR).
Criticizes Israel
Ahmed al-Sharaa strongly criticizes Israel after Wednesday's Israeli attacks on Syrian cities and accuses Israel of destabilizing the country and seeking "chaos and destruction". According to al-Sharaa, Israel targeted both civilian infrastructure and government buildings.
At the same time, Syrian government forces have been accused of killing civilian Druze during the clashes. al-Sharaa claims that those responsible for violence against Druze will be held accountable.
We are keen to hold accountable those who have committed violations and abuses against our Druze people, he said in the televised speech according to the news agency AFP.
Israeli attacks
It was at the end of last week that clashes broke out between Druze and Bedouin in the province and city of Sweida, which led to Syrian government forces being deployed in an attempt to quell the violence. The Syrian Ministry of Defense claims that it has tried to protect residents from "lawless groups".
This in turn led to Israel entering the conflict and on Wednesday carrying out air strikes against, among other things, the Syrian Ministry of Defense in Damascus. Israel presents its attacks as a defense of the Druze minority - which also exists in Israel - but also sees the presence of Syrian government forces in southwestern Syria as a threat to Israel.
Israel's involvement in Syria reflects the country's changed strategy in the region, said Rob Geist Pinfold, lecturer in international security at King's College in London, to TT on Wednesday.
They are very happy with a weak and fragmented Syria that actually has no real government.
