Syria-Militan Druze Sweida Agrees Ceasefire After Deadly Clashes

JAKARTA - The Syrian Druze Community reached a ceasefire agreement with the Syrian government in Sweida which will take effect soon after a clash with Syrian troops.

This announcement was made by religious leader Druze, Sheikh Yousef Jarbou, in a video broadcast by state media on Wednesday, July 16.

The previous ceasefire, which was announced on Tuesday night, failed after just hours.

There are still gunfire from government forces in the city of Sweida, the majority of whom are residents of Druze, following the announcement, according to a Reuters witness.

On Wednesday, Israeli drones targeted the Syrian city of Sweida, where clashes between Syrian government forces and local Druze fighters occurred again.

There has been no direct statement from the Israeli military regarding the latest attack on Wednesday, July 16.

On Tuesday, Israel launched an attack on Syrian government forces in the Sweida region, southern Syria.

Israel said the action was carried out to protect the Druze minority and pledged to ensure territory near the Israeli border remains demilitarized.

A reporter Reuters fired at at least four strikes while the sound of the drone was heard overhead and saw damaged tanks being pulled away from the city. There, a series of shots were heard as violence entered its third day.

The increasing violence in the city, where the majority of the population is Druze, marks the latest challenge for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Syria, where Israel has pledged to protect the Druze minority.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Katz instructed the military to immediately attack regime forces and weapons brought to the Sweida region for regime operations against Druze.

"Israel is committed to preventing the danger to Druze in Syria because of the close brotherhood alliance with our Druze people in Israel," the Israeli authorities said.

"We act to prevent the Syrian regime from endangering them and to ensure the deliterization of territory bordering Syria," he continued.

Earlier an influential Druze leader, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, issued a statement accusing Syrian government forces of violating the ceasefire and bombarding the city, calling on fighters to fight government forces.

Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra then issued a statement stating the ceasefire had been fully enforced, and said government forces would only