Violence flared again in southern Syria’s Druze-majority Sweida province on Sunday, August 3, 2025, resulting in the deaths of at least four people—including military and local fighters—marking the first lethal breach of last month’s fragile ceasefire.
The unrest follows a wave of sectarian fighting that began around July 13, when armed clashes erupted between Druze militias and Sunni Bedouin tribes.
Government forces entered the conflict but tensions intensified, leading to widespread loss of life and displacement .
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Sunday’s violence included the killing of one member of Syria’s internal security forces and one local combatant, while several others sustained injuries.
The clashes reportedly broke out around Tal Hadid, a strategic high ground in western Sweida province. Shelling and heavy weapons firing were reported in the areas of Thaala and Sweida city as well .
State media described the attackers as groups violating a US-brokered truce established in mid-July, which had temporarily ended a week of intense violence that claimed over 1,400 lives, displaced more than 175,000 people, and triggered a humanitarian crisis in the region.
Aid deliveries remain urgent. The UN and Red Crescent agencies are coordinating humanitarian convoys to bring food, water, and fuel to Sweida’s population, though access remains restricted due to continued instability and certain routes remain blocked by armed factions .
In response to the new violence, Syrian authorities have formed an investigative committee to review events from July and current violations of the ceasefire.
Analysts say maintaining that ceasefire remains critical to preventing broader sectarian escalation in the country’s south .