Fighting between Druze factions and Bedouin tribal fighters in Sweida draws in government forces; hundreds are killed in days of violence, with documented abuses against Druze civilians and casualties on all sides. Israel strikes government forces and targets in central Damascus, stating it is protecting the Druze. A ceasefire leaves Druze factions in control of most of the province, outside state authority.
Why it mattersThe standoff this violence created is still the transition's sharpest internal impasse: Sweida's parliamentary seats sit vacant, its factions armed, and the episode fixed both minority distrust of state forces and Israel's declared protection interest.
Confidence: HighSources: Reuters · Al Jazeera English · UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on SyriaMethodologyCorrections