Ceasefire breached in Syria's Suwayda as clashes renew on al-Majdal axis

Clashes broke out again on Saturday in the countryside of Syria's Suweida province, marking a new breach of the fragile ceasefire between local Druze factions and government forces.

Fighting was reported along the al-Majdal axis in the western countryside, where tensions have persisted for weeks.

The state television channel Al-Ikhbariyah quoted a security source as saying that "the rebellious gangs in Suwayda violated the ceasefire, and targeted positions of the Internal Security Forces in the village of al-Majdal west of the province". The comments reflect the government's insistence that local factions are responsible for renewed hostilities.

A separate source in Suweida, close to the local factions, provided a contrasting account. The source told The New Arab's Arabic edition that the al-Majdal axis witnessed an exchange of fire "between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m", adding that the factions "responded only to the sources of fire" on that axis.

The differing narratives highlight the deep mistrust between the two sides and the difficulty of maintaining the ceasefire agreement brokered earlier this year.

Saturday’s escalation came after a tense but relatively quiet day on Friday, when multiple fronts in western Suweida experienced what authorities described as "cautious calm". On Friday, Suleiman Abdel-Baqi, director of the Internal Security Directorate in the province, said Suwayda had faced "repeated assaults" on security personnel following the recent wave of unrest.

He noted that "no injuries among security forces" were recorded during the latest breach. Speaking to Al-Ikhbariyah, he said all incidents were being "fully documented" and pointed to recommendations aimed at "containing any tension and opening channels of dialogue with residents".

The recurring clashes come amid a period of heightened volatility in Suwayda, where local factions loyal to Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri - the spiritual head of the Druze community in Syria - have confronted government forces with increasing frequency.

Residents say the standoff reflects deeper grievances over governance, security abuses, and deteriorating living conditions.

In a separate development, the Criminal Security Forces in Latakia province announced the arrest of a man accused of extorting several young women using social media. The Syrian Interior Ministry said in a statement that "after precise monitoring by the specialised bodies, and coordination between the relevant units, the perpetrator’s identity and place of residence were determined and he was arrested in the act".

The ministry said that during interrogation, "he admitted to the charges brought against him".

According to the statement, the suspect used fake accounts to approach victims, obtained personal photos "by various means", and then threatened to publish them in exchange for money. Electronic devices and "digital evidence" were seized from his possession.

The Interior Ministry also reported on Thursday the arrest of a former guard at Sednaya Prison, describing him as being involved in "widespread violations during his time at the facility.

It said the counterterrorism branch in Aleppo province, along with Internal Security Forces units, arrested Mahmoud Ali Ahmad based on a warrant issued by the Public Prosecutor, following what the ministry called "extensive search and investigation operations".

The renewed clashes in Suweida, along with the unrelated arrests in Latakia and Aleppo, reflect an increasingly fractured security landscape as Syrian authorities attempt to manage unrest, criminal activity, and longstanding grievances in multiple provinces simultaneously.