BEDOUIN families began evacuating the Syrian city of Sweida today following government orders, as a fragile ceasefire took hold after a week of deadly fighting.

Clashes between militias from the Druze religious minority and Sunni Muslim clans have killed hundreds and displaced more than 128,000 people, according to the UN.

The violence began with tit-for-tat kidnappings and escalated into widespread attacks, including assaults on the Druze community and retaliatory strikes on Bedouin civilians.

Israel also carried out dozens of air strikes in Sweida province, targeting Syrian government forces aligned with Bedouin factions, despite the new rulers’ avowed commitment to unite communities.

Syrian state media reported on Sunday that the government co-ordinated with local officials to evacuate about 1,500 Bedouins still trapped in the city. 

Interior Minister Ahmad al-Dalati said that the operation aimed to ease tensions and pave the way for displaced Druze civilians to return. 

Details of deal remain unclear, but Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that it involves Bedouin fighters releasing Druze women and withdrawing.

US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack called for accountability and urged the international community to support the new Syrian government.

He also criticised Israel’s air strikes as “poorly timed” and unhelpful to de-escalation efforts.

The bloodshed in Sweida has deepened existing distrust among Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities. 

The current government in Damascus is led by Sunni Muslims, many of them former opposition fighters, and has struggled to gain the confidence of groups like the Druze and the Alawites who have also faced deadly reprisals in recent months. 

Earlier this year, hundreds of Alawite civilians were killed in revenge attacks on Syria’s coastal region.

Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has pledged to protect minority communities and bring perpetrators of sectarian violence to justice, but many fear not enough is being done to prevent further attacks or address the root causes of hostility.