Relative calm returned Thursday morning to the western countryside of Sweida, following a night of heavy clashes between Syrian security forces and local Druze factions.
The fighting erupted late Wednesday after a truce was broken in the Walgha area, where armed groups targeted security checkpoints, prompting a fierce exchange of fire only hours after a prisoner swap between the two sides.
The Walgha crossing, located west of Sweida, serves as a key humanitarian corridor used for aid delivery, medical evacuations, and prisoner exchanges under the supervision of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and international organizations.
A security source told state television Al-Ekhbariya that internal security units “responded to the sources of fire and targeted the positions of the rebellious groups.” Meanwhile, the local outlet Sweida24 reported that frontlines in the western region remained largely unchanged, though sporadic bursts of heavy gunfire were heard overnight during security clearing operations.
On Wednesday, authorities announced the release of 35 detainees from Sweida after investigations proved they were not involved in any unlawful acts. The release took place in the town of Al-Mazraa, west of the city, in the presence of Governor Mustafa al-Bakour, Internal Security Commander Brig. Gen. Hussam al-Tahhan, and other senior officials.
Bakour also revealed that more than 20 members of the security forces and army had been arrested for abuses committed during clashes with Druze factions in July. Tahhan, for his part, stated that all released detainees “underwent thorough legal procedures confirming their innocence,” adding that the move was intended to “ease tensions, strengthen civil peace, and uphold stability.”
Head of internal security in Sweida Suleiman Abdul Baqi told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that the exchange involved 35 detainees from Sweida and 12 from local tribes who had been freed in an earlier phase, describing the process as part of “a coordinated effort to restore security and reduce escalation.”
Bakour later confirmed that tribal groups had released 55 of the 110 individuals they were holding, underlining the province’s cooperation with international investigative committees and rejecting any notion of separation from the state.
“We are ready to do whatever it takes to build trust and the state has proven its commitment to holding all violators accountable,” he said.
