Damascus [Syria], July 20: Syria's security forces have begun deploying in the restive southern province of Suwayda, a Ministry of Interior spokesperson has said, where heavy fighting between Druze and Bedouin armed groups and government forces has left hundreds dead, compounded by Israeli military intervention.
The deployment on Saturday came hours after the United States announced that Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire, an as yet uncertain truce amidst overnight fighting.
Syria's government announced the ceasefire early on Saturday, saying in a statement it is being enacted "to spare Syrian blood, preserve the unity of Syrian territory, the safety of its people".
The country's president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in a televised address, stated that he "received international calls to intervene in what is happening in Suwayda and restore security to the country".
Israeli intervention has "reignited tensions" in the city, with fighting there "a dangerous turning point", he said, also thanking the US for its support.
Earlier, Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba had said in a statement on Telegram that "internal security forces have begun deploying in Suwayda province . with the aim of protecting civilians and putting an end to the chaos."
Ethnically charged clashes between Druze and Bedouin armed groups and government forces have reportedly left hundreds dead in recent days.
On Wednesday, Israel launched heavy air attacks on Syria's Ministry of Defence in the heart of Damascus, and also hit Syrian government forces in the Suwayda region, claiming it had done so to protect the Druze, who it calls its "brothers".
"Al-Sharaa said that national unity was a priority for his government and that part of the role of the government was to be a neutral referee between all parties," said Al Jazeera's Mohamed Vall, reporting from the capital Damascus.
"He praised the people of Suwayda, other than the few elements that wanted to sow trouble, saying that both Druze and Arab communities in the city were noble people."
It was unclear whether Syrian troops reached Suwayda city as of Saturday morning or were still on the city's outskirts, Vall said.
Bedouin tribal fighters had been waiting to hear more from the government about the ceasefire, while Druze leaders have varying attitudes on it - some welcoming it, and others pledging to continue fighting, he added.
Bedouin fighters in Damascus on Saturday were preparing to travel to the Druze-majority city to support Bedouin fighters there.
On Friday, an Israeli official, who declined to be named, told reporters that in light of the "ongoing instability in southwest Syria", Israel had agreed to allow the "limited entry of the [Syrian] internal security forces into Suwayda district for the next 48 hours".
According to Syria's Health Ministry, the death toll from fighting in the Druze-majority city is now at least 260. An estimated 80,000 people have fled the area, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Source: Qatar Tribune
