Second front opens up in southern Syria, as Druze militias clash with fleeing regime forces

A second front opened in the Syrian Civil War on Friday following several uprisings in southern Syria, which led regime forces to flee several key cities in the region.

At least four people were killed and 16 injured in clashes between Druze militias and regime security forces in Sweida, according to local media.

#شاهد: عنصر من الجيش السوري يعلن انشقاقه في ساحة الكرامة وسط السويداء في لقاء مع كاميرا السويداء 24، ومراسلنا يؤكد أن المجموعات الأهلية عملت على تأمينه وحمايته..تفاصيل أكثر حال ورودها.. pic.twitter.com/WwY3FD8TI0

— السويداء 24 (@suwayda24) December 6, 2024

Militias took control of the main police station and the biggest civilian prison hours after hundreds of people protested in a main square demanding the downfall of President Bashar al-Assad. Later in the day, the major military headquarters in the nearby town of Harek was captured.

Sweid has been a center for anti-government protests by the Syrian Druze community for several years. At least 17 people were killed in the city in 2022, following local militias and government paramilitary. In September 2023, over 10,000 people rallied in the city against the government, calling for the fall of the regime.

"People are seeing what is happening in the rest of Syria as the liberation of Syria and a chance to bring down the regime," activist Ryan Marouf, editor of Suwayda 24, a website that covers the province, told Reuters.

A spokesman for Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the head of the Druze community in Israel, stated Friday that he is "following with great concern the events in Syria, particularly in the Druze strongholds in Sweida and the developments of the past hours."

"Tarif is conducting direct and urgent talks with all involved parties in an effort to prevent attacks on the Druze strongholds," the spokesperson said. 

Southern rebel uprisings

The uprising in Sweida was only one of several as government forces evacuated themselves from nearly a dozen major settlements in southern Syria. Southern rebels announced the formation of a unified operations room in order to integrate the various groups following the mass uprisings.

Southern Rebels filmed themselves entering central Daraa late on Friday, something they had not done in over 10 years.

Daraa, the so-called "Cradle of the Syrian Revolution," was where major protests against the regime began, which ultimately led to a brutal crackdown that only enflamed the protestors.

The IDF announced on Friday afternoon that it was reinforcing the Golan Heights with additional aerial and ground forces, announcing it would "not tolerate threats near the Israeli border."

Additionally, Assad forces were forced to withdraw from Deir ez-Zor in the far east of the country, and northern rebel groups reached the gates of Homs in the center of the country.