SWEIDA (SYRIA): At least 30 people have died and more than 100 others injured in violent clashes between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters in southern Syria’s Sweida city, according to Syria’s interior ministry.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported a higher death toll of 37. The clashes erupted as Syrian authorities deployed forces to contain escalating tensions in the region.

Fighting between minority groups has intensified following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December, ending over five decades of Alawite rule.

Since the Islamist-led coalition, spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), seized Damascus late last year and ousted Assad, the new government has struggled to restore order across the fractured country.

In April and May, earlier confrontations between government forces and Druze militias also resulted in dozens of deaths.

On Monday, the interior ministry confirmed that government troops would now directly intervene in Sweida to halt the violence.

The provincial governor, Mustapha al-Bakur, urged the public to exercise restraint and join national efforts toward reform. Religious leaders from the Druze community have also issued appeals for peace.

The Druze, a sect with roots in Shia Islam, have historically maintained a cautious alliance with the Syrian state, seeking protection during the 13-year civil war. However, with the rise of a new Sunni-dominated government, many Druze residents have voiced fears over their safety and political marginalization.

The conflict’s broader toll has also impacted other minorities. Hundreds of Alawites have been reported killed in recent months, and Christian churches in Damascus have been targeted by attackers.

Despite Syria’s ongoing instability, some Western nations have moved to re-engage with the new leadership. The United States recently removed HTS from its list of foreign terrorist organizations, and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy became the first British minister to visit Syria since the civil war began 14 years ago.