Sweida, Syria
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The violence in the Druze-majority city was some of the most brutal in Syria since Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December.
The Syrian defence ministry said on Tuesday it was aware of reports of "shocking violations" by people wearing military fatigues in the country's predominantly Druze city of Sweida, and said it would launch an investigation.
Dozens of people lined up to donate their blood as soon as the donation center opened and 40 samples were collected in just two hours. Magen David Adom began a blood drive on Sunday in the Druze-majority village of Isfiya to support Syrian Druze wounded by militia groups and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime forces in recent clashes,
Sweida recently faced intense sectarian clashes involving Druze militias, Bedouin tribes, and Syrian government forces, drawing in Israel and leading to over 300 deaths. The Syrian defense ministry announced investigations into alleged human rights violations.
Hundreds of Bedouin civilians were evacuated from Syria's predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Monday as part of a U.S.-backed truce meant to end days of bloodshed in southern Syria, state media and witnesses said.
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Syria’s president declared a ceasefire after nearly a week of sectarian bloodshed in the south, but civilians said there was no let-up in the violence.
Syria’s armed Bedouin clans announced Sunday they had withdrawn from the Druze-majority city of Sweida following weeklong clashes and a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, as humanitarian aid convoys started to enter the battered southern city.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported on Sunday that Israel sent urgent medical aid to the Druze in Sweida and the step was coordinated with Washington and Syria. Spokespeople for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Foreign Ministry and the military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A group of armed men opened fire in the direction of a convoy evacuating civilians from Sweida on Tuesday (July 22) as it passed through T'ara. Footage showed crowds of people surrounding Red Crescent buses carrying civilians and shots being fired in their direction.