SAEDNEWS: The Jolani administration announced the deployment of internal security forces in Syria’s Suwayda province on Saturday, claiming the move aims to restore order amid ongoing armed confrontations with tribal fighters who reject the terms of a newly brokered ceasefire.
Noureddine al-Baba, spokesman for the interior ministry under the Jolani-controlled government, said internal security forces had begun operations in Suwayda to "protect civilians and end the chaos."
He stated that “political and security institutions will exert all efforts to stop the attacks and restore stability to the province.”
Syrian state television, however, reported a full withdrawal of Jolani-aligned security convoys from Suwayda’s outskirts toward Daraa.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed ongoing heavy clashes in Suwayda city and reported expanded frontlines after reinforcements arrived from tribal militias.
Tribal forces reportedly opened a new axis from the eastern Tlal al-Safa region and advanced toward the western entrance of Suwayda at Douar al-Omran.
These movements led to high casualties on both sides.
The tribal fighters have rejected Jolani’s demand to vacate their positions, further undermining the viability of the ceasefire.
Fighting erupted on Monday when armed groups affiliated with Jolani launched attacks on Suwayda.
The death toll since then has reached 718, according to local sources.
Sporadic clashes continue in rural areas surrounding the city, despite the official ceasefire announcement.
Tensions escalated further after Syrian media revealed that Israeli regime conducted more than 160 airstrikes in southern Syria within 24 hours, under the pretext of supporting the Druze minority.
Targets included Syrian army headquarters, the presidential palace vicinity, the defense ministry, and military convoys in Damascus, Suwayda, and Daraa.
Despite Jolani’s declared ceasefire, tribal groups in Suwayda remain hostile to the terms.
In a Saturday statement, Jolani’s transitional government called for “an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in Suwayda” and warned that violations would be considered breaches of Syrian sovereignty.
It added that security forces had begun deploying in various locations to enforce the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, US envoy Tom Barrack said a truce had been reached through US mediation between Jolani and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to Barrack, the deal had backing from Turkey, Jordan, and regional players and was intended to pave the way for a new phase in Syria’s conflict.
He called on all ethnic and religious factions—including Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis—to disarm.
Despite these diplomatic moves, Arab tribes continue to reject the ceasefire and accuse the deal of facilitating normalization with Israel.
Armed clashes resumed in villages such as al-Matouna and Lahtha in Suwayda’s countryside.
Some tribal groups have declared the agreement illegitimate and politically motivated.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke by phone with US Secretary of State Mark Rubio, calling for a rapid end to Syria’s fighting and vowing that terrorist groups would not be allowed to exploit the unrest in the south.
In a contradictory stance, the Jolani-appointed Grand Mufti issued a fatwa condemning any request for Israeli assistance as “treason and religiously forbidden.”
The fatwa came despite the administration’s tacit cooperation with Israel, whose attacks recently struck key Jolani-controlled sites.
