SWEIDA IN FLAMES : THE DRUZE STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL.

📰 AIMA Media Special Report (AI Generated News )
🎙️ “Sweida in Flames: The Druze Struggle for Survival”
📅 Published: 20 July 2025
🔍 Overview
Southern Syria’s Sweida province, home to the ancient Druze community, has become the epicenter of a deadly conflict involving Druze militias, Bedouin tribal fighters, and Syrian government forces. The violence has triggered Israeli airstrikes, displaced tens of thousands, and raised global alarm.
📍 Where Is Sweida?
- Located in southern Syria, near the Jordanian border and Israeli-occupied Golan Heights
- Known as Jabal al-Druze, it’s the spiritual and cultural heartland of Syria’s Druze population
- Population: ~700,000 Druze in Syria, with Sweida hosting the largest concentration
🕊️ Who Are the Druze?
- A monotheistic ethno-religious group with roots in 11th-century Ismaili Islam
- Beliefs include reincarnation, spiritual secrecy, and unity of God
- Only initiates (ʿuqqāl) access sacred texts; others (juhhāl) live by simplified principles
- Found in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and diaspora communities in Venezuela, U.S., Canada
🔥 What Sparked the Violence?
- Began on 13 July 2025 after a Druze merchant was assaulted by Bedouin fighters
- Escalated into tit-for-tat kidnappings, armed clashes, and extrajudicial killings
- Syrian forces entered Sweida, allegedly siding with Bedouins and committing abuses
✈️ Israel’s Intervention
- Citing “brotherly ties” with Druze citizens, Israel launched airstrikes on Syrian military targets
- Struck Damascus, including the Defense Ministry and near the Presidential Palace
- Aims to create a demilitarized buffer zone near the Golan Heights
📉 Humanitarian Toll
- Over 600 killed, including 80+ civilians and 165 soldiers
- 80,000+ displaced, homes looted, bodies found in streets
- UN and rights groups report summary executions and sectarian violence

🗣️ Voices from the Ground
- Druze leaders like Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri call for autonomy and international protection
- Civilians recount looting, sniper attacks, and missing family members
- Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa pledges protection but faces deep mistrust

🌍 Global Reactions
- U.S. brokered ceasefire, urging unity and restraint
- Arab nations condemn Israeli strikes, call for Syrian sovereignty
- Israel vows continued action if Syrian forces remain in Sweida
【AI generated News 】