US Secretary of state calls in Syrian authorities to deploy security forces

2025-07-20 07:46:42

(MENAFN) U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on the Syrian government to immediately deploy security forces in the country’s south to halt the ongoing violence between Druze and Bedouin groups in Suwayda province.

“If authorities in Damascus want to preserve any chance of achieving a unified, inclusive, and peaceful Syria free of ISIS and Iranian control, they must help end this calamity by using their security forces to prevent ISIS and other violent jihadists from entering the area and carrying out massacres,” Rubio wrote on X.

He said the U.S. has been “heavily involved” over the past three days, coordinating with Israel, Jordan, and Syrian authorities regarding the deteriorating security situation in Suwayda.

“The rape and slaughter of innocent people which has and is still occurring must end,” Rubio added, stressing that Damascus must also “hold accountable and bring to justice anyone guilty of atrocities, including those in their own ranks.”

Fighting erupted in Suwayda on July 13 between Bedouin Arab tribes and armed Druze factions. The situation intensified after Israeli airstrikes targeted Syrian military sites in Damascus, citing the protection of Druze communities as justification.

Earlier on Saturday, the Syrian presidency declared a comprehensive and immediate ceasefire in the province following several days of unrest.

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