Damascus

In the heart of southern Syria, the Druze community of Sweida has found itself at the center of a deadly confrontation with the Damascus government, driven by demands for self-determination and survival.

“The people of Sweida feel betrayed and abandoned by the majority of Syrians at the worst time in our history,” one resident told reporters anonymously, citing fear for his family’s safety. He called on Syrians to reject sectarianism and to resist the government’s grip, insisting that the Druze will never accept extremist figures or groups like Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

The violence that swept through Sweida in mid-July …