Clashes reignite in Sweida between government forces and Druze groups - BT News
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The development occurred a week after the integration of the Kurdish-led forces and civil administration into the state’s institutions was completed, fueling hopes that the sectarian strife in the country would be contained.

At least two civilians were killed, and 10 Syrian security personnel were wounded in renewed clashes between Druze armed groups and Syrian government forces in Syria’s southern governorate of Sweida.

According to media reports, the conflict erupted again in Sweida on Saturday, August 29, and continued through Monday, August 31, after the Druze armed group the National Guard blocked roads, preventing students from traveling to government-controlled examination centers north of Sweida.

The National Guard, which is affiliated with Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri (known for his alignment with Israel), accused the Syrian government forces of firing a number of mortar shells against civilians. The group further claimed that a child was injured as a result of the shelling.

The development signals a continued challenge to Al-Sharaa’s administration to integrate all sectarian and ethnic minorities into the state, though it came one week after finalizing the integration of the Kurds.

It also exposes the volatile sectarian divisions in the post-Assad era and jeopardizes nationwide sovereignty, as the possibility of Israel’s intervention under the pretext of protecting the Druze minority looms.

Read more: Israel launches airstrikes on Syria as sectarian violence continues to spiral

Syria’s interim government completes Kurdish civil and military integration into its institutions

The commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi announced on Thursday, August 20, the dissolution of the armed group as an independent ​military force.

Abdi also affirmed at an event in Syria’s northeastern city of Qamishli that the phase of integrating Kurdish military, security, and administrative institutions into national state institutions was complete and finished.

One week later, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued a decree, appointing Abdi as “an advisor to the Presidency of the Republic.”

With the completion of the integration process, curtains fall on the Kurds’ long-held dream of autonomy. However, the renewed sectarian clashes in Sweida, alongside the latest explosions in the Syrian capital of Damascus, and recurrent Israeli assaults underscore the prevailing security challenges in Syria.

Read more*:* Attack in Central Damascus shakes Syria’s fragile peace

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