Suwayda, southwest Syria – Government buses evacuated dozens of Bedouin families from Syria’s Suwayda province to rural Daraa on Monday, under a fragile ceasefire agreement brokered after a week of deadly clashes in the country’s south.
According to Syria’s state news agency (SANA), over 300 civilians, mostly women and children, were transported to the town of Busra al-Harir in eastern Daraa as part of a government-coordinated evacuation effort.
Brigadier General Ahmad al-Dalati, head of internal security in Suwayda, said the evacuation was part of “an agreement to allow civilians wishing to leave Suwayda to do so temporarily, until safe return can be guaranteed.”
Al-Dalati added that “access to Suwayda will remain open for those who wish to return, as part of continued efforts to restore stability.” He confirmed that a security cordon was established around the city to help enforce the ceasefire and de-escalation measures.
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The evacuation follows a week of armed conflict and sectarian tension between local Druze factions and Bedouin armed groups loyal to the government in Suwayda, which led to dozens of casualties and the disappearance of at least 80 Druze women and girls, according to Syrian activists.
On Sunday, U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack announced that all parties had reached a ceasefire agreement to halt hostilities. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Barrack emphasized the importance of “immediate and secure humanitarian access” and called for a full exchange of detainees as a next step toward de-escalation.
