As government security forces fought to enforce the first day of a truce mediated by the United States, we saw the streets of Sweida city littered with bodies that had been burnt, disfigured, and rotting.
As we reached the besieged city, which was primarily inhabited by Druze, we noticed that large areas of the city appeared to be on fire. Numerous structures, residences, apartments, stores, and companies were destroyed by fire.
We witnessed Arab tribal warriors in raiding bands bursting into houses and lighting them on fire. Others were seen packing cars full of various items.
There were several geese in one car. Others were filled with bushes. Others had refrigerators, cabinets, and beds.
An Arab fighter rides a stolen tractor
Arab tribal fighters who travelled to Sweida
In an attempt to stop still more Arab tribal warriors from arriving, the newly appointed president dispatched his security troops to the southern city.
However, we saw sizable groups of armed men attempting to pass through the few checkpoints early in the day.
During our visit, we saw no government soldiers within the center; instead, they appeared to stay mostly on the outside.
Government security forces struggled to impose any order on the armed groups
Bedouin fighters in the Sweida province.
For the most of the day, there were ongoing, intense conflicts inside the center between the Arab soldiers defending their Bedouin brethren and the Druze militia, which was commanded by the cleric Hikmat al Hajiri.
While standing on her balcony, a Druze woman was shot by a sniper.
Even though a gunshot went straight through one side of her jaw and out the other, she managed to survive despite having blood all over her face. She had also been struck on one arm and one shoulder.
Bedouin fighters took her to a field hospital outside the city for medical attention. She said that she didn’t know which of the opposing groups had shot her.
A Bedouin fighter walks near a burnt building after sectarian clashes.
Alex Crawford described besieged Sweida as a ‘city on fire’
