Syrian government forces have withdrawn from the whole of Sweida province on Thursday after days of sectarian bloodshed in the heartland of the Druze minority, according to AFP.
Syria announced it would be withdrawing its army from Druze-majority Sweida city on Wednesday night after agreeing to a new ceasefire that it said would bring a complete halt to its military operations there.
According to the text of the new ceasefire agreement, published by the interior ministry, there will be a “total and immediate halt to all military operations,” as well as the formation of a committee comprising government officials and Druze spiritual leaders to supervise its implementation.
The Syrian government announced Thursday that local leaders would assume control over security in Sweida in an attempt to end violence that has claimed hundreds of lives and prompted Israel’s military intervention.
Syrian forces had deployed to Sweida with the stated aim of overseeing a truce, following days of deadly clashes between Druze fighters and local Bedouin tribes that a war monitor said left more than 350 people dead.
Israel responded by carrying out strikes on Syrian forces, including its army headquarters in Damascus, and said it would intensify its attacks if they did not withdraw from the south.
Agencies
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