Sweida shelling kills two civilians, sources say

Two civilians were killed near the Druze-majority city of Sweida in southern Syria on Sunday during suspected clashes between local armed groups and government forces, two local security sources told AFP.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported two deaths and said government forces and armed groups from the Druze minority had been exchanging fire since Saturday night.

A Druze security source, speaking anonymously, said a shell launched from a government-controlled area hit the outskirts of Sweida city, struck a tractor and killed two people on board: the driver and a woman travelling with him. A second person who inspected the strike site said the tractor was completely burned and that the victims were farmers.

The Syrian government did not immediately comment.

Sweida city and other parts of the surrounding Druze-majority province are run by armed groups. AFP reported that they are among the last major areas outside the control of Syria's new Islamist authorities, who took power after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

Tensions have remained high in Sweida province since clashes last year between Druze factions, Bedouin fighters and government-aligned forces. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 2,000 people were killed in those clashes, including 789 Druze civilians. A Syrian government committee said it had documented 1,760 deaths.

Government forces and allies were accused at the time of executing civilians and other abuses. Damascus said last month that it had begun trying suspects over the violence.

The latest dispute between Druze armed groups and Damascus came on Saturday, when the groups refused to allow students to travel to government-controlled areas for official exams.