Damascus, Syria – Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced Thursday that his government has officially entrusted several local Druze factions and community leaders with maintaining security in Sweida, the southern Syrian province rocked by recent clashes.
In a nationally televised address, al-Sharaa said the decision stemmed from the urgent need to “avoid slipping into a broader war” and to preserve Syria’s national unity after intense clashes in Sweida left dozens dead.
“We faced two options: an open war with the Israeli entity at the expense of our Druze people’s safety, or a return to national dialogue led by Druze elders for the sake of unity,” al-Sharaa said.
He reaffirmed Syria’s rejection of any foreign-backed division, adding: “We will never allow Syria to become a fragmented state or a battlefield for external agendas. Our Druze citizens are an essential part of this nation, and protecting their rights and freedoms is a top priority.”
Al-Sharaa blamed armed factions and criminal elements for escalating tensions in Sweida, claiming they had refused months of proposed dialogue.
Read also: Escalation in Sweida: Roots of the Crisis
“These same actors fueled unrest, exploited local grievances, and resisted every attempt at a peaceful resolution,” he said. “Despite this, state efforts succeeded in restoring relative calm; even in the face of repeated Israeli provocations.”
The Syrian leader accused Israel of expanding its strikes to target civilian and governmental facilities, escalating tensions with direct attacks on Damascus and the Sweida region.
“The Israeli entity seeks to turn Syria into a permanent war zone,” al-Sharaa claimed, citing the recent airstrikes on military headquarters in Damascus and the presidential palace. “Their goal is to dismantle our unity and disrupt reconstruction efforts.”
He credited regional and international diplomacy, specifically mediation by the U.S., Arab states, and Turkey, with preventing full-scale escalation.
While insisting Syria “does not fear war,” al-Sharaa said Damascus chose “the higher national interest” by avoiding broader conflict and instead entrusting the local community with restoring order.
“We are committed to protecting our Druze compatriots and holding anyone who harmed them accountable. Syria will not become a testing ground for foreign ambitions,” he said.
He emphasized that Syrians of all backgrounds must unite to rebuild the country, adding: “The path to a new Syria lies in solidarity, justice, and shared sacrifice; not in external manipulation or internal division.”
