Syria's Leader Urges Bedouin Tribes to Commit to Ceasefire

Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa urged Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes Saturday to "fully commit" to a ceasefire aimed at ending clashes with Druze-linked militias that left hundreds dead and threatened to unravel the country's post-war transition.

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Government forces that were initially sent to restore order but effectively sided with the Bedouins against the Druze were redeployed to halt renewed fighting that erupted late Thursday in the southern province of Sweida. The violence has also drawn airstrikes against Syrian forces by neighboring Israel before a truce was reached.

In his second televised address since the fighting started, al-Sharaa blamed "armed groups from Sweida" for reigniting the conflict by "launching retaliatory attacks against the Bedouins and their families." He also said Israeli intervention "pushed the country into a dangerous phase."