Sheikh al-Hijri denies Suwayda ceasefire as fighting rages
Shafaq News – Damascus
Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of Syria’s Druze community, denied on Wednesday the existence of any agreement or negotiations with what he described as “armed terrorist gangs falsely claiming to be a government,” vowing to continue the fight until “the complete liberation of Suwayda from these groups.”
In a statement, al-Hijri called on Druze community members to persist in confronting what he described as forces responsible for killings, looting, and arson. He assured that those who surrender their weapons will not face abuse or reprisals, but warned that any individual who violates the community’s unified stance through separate agreements would face “legal and social accountability.”
His remarks came just hours after Syria’s Ministry of Interior and prominent Druze figures announced a ceasefire agreement in Suwayda following several days of deadly clashes. Sheikh Youssef Jarbou’, another senior Druze leader, said the deal includes withdrawal of army units to their bases, regulation of heavy weapons, and restoration of internal security through local forces. It also provides for the reopening of the Damascus–Suwayda highway, a joint investigative committee to address abuses, and compensation for affected families.
بنود الاتفاق لوقف إطلاق النار ونشر الحواجز الأمنية داخل السويداء واندماجها الكامل ضمن الدولة السورية#الجمهورية_العربية_السورية #وزارة_الداخلية pic.twitter.com/wkpVS5FgM2
— وزارة الداخلية السورية (@syrianmoi) July 16, 2025
State media outlet SANA, citing an Interior Ministry source, reported that the agreement would see the deployment of official security checkpoints and the integration of Druze community leaders into a joint monitoring committee to oversee implementation.
