Convoys of Syrian security forces were seen moving outside of Sweida on Wednesday (July 16) night. Scores of people have been killed this week in violence in and around the predominantly Druze city, pitting fighters from the Druze minority against government security forces and members of Bedouin tribes.

Syria announced it had begun withdrawing its army from Druze-majority Sweida city on Wednesday night after agreeing to a new ceasefire that it said

In Syria's Druze-majority city of Sweida, residents said they have been living in terror since the arrival of government forces who have been carrying out what witnesses and a war monitor have called summary executions.

The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday attacked the entrance to the Syrian regime’s military headquarters in the Damascus area in response to reports of atrocities against local Druze residents.

The ongoing unrest in Sweida has become both a political and security challenge for the Syrian government. What began as local clashes has now escalated into a broader crisis, with Druze armed groups resisting central authority,

The Syrian presidency vowed to punish those who committed violations against Druze-majority Sweida's residents, as government forces were accused of summary executions and other abuses by right groups,