ALBAWABA- A series of powerful explosions shook the volatile southern outskirts of Damascus on Wednesday amid fierce clashes between Syrian government forces and local Druze militias in Suwayda province.
According to local activists and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, several people, including civilians, were killed or injured in the fighting.
The blasts, believed to have resulted from heavy artillery exchanges and possible airstrikes on insurgent positions, have reignited fears of wider sectarian violence in the Druze stronghold.
Tensions in the area have been escalating since mid-July, following deadly confrontations between Bedouin and Druze groups that earlier prompted limited Israeli intervention.
In a conciliatory move, the Syrian government announced the release of 30 detainees from Suwayda as part of renewed reconciliation efforts.
Local factions cautiously welcomed the step, reiterating demands for the safe return of abductees and an end to arbitrary arrests that have fueled months of protests across the province.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, the Syrian Ministry of Defense reached a significant ceasefire agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on October 7.
The deal, signed under the supervision of SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, calls for an immediate halt to hostilities in northern and northeastern Syria, including Aleppo, to reinforce a fragile truce reached in March.
While the accord raises hopes for broader political integration of Kurdish-led militias into Syria’s national defense structures, observers remain skeptical about its implementation.
