Armed Druze factions, Arab tribes exchange prisoners in southern Syria’s Suwayda

By Muhammed Karabacak, Aladdin Mustafaoğlu and Rania Abu Shamala

DAMASCUS/ISTANBUL (AA) – Armed Druze factions and Arab tribes exchanged prisoners on Sunday in Syria’s southern Suwayda province, coordinated by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the Damascus government.

The exchange took place in the town of al-Mtoneh in the northern countryside of Suwayda, an Anadolu reporter said.

The exchange involved members of Arab tribes and Druze who had been detained during the clashes that erupted in Suwayda last July.

According to the reporter, 34 Arab tribesmen were released in exchange for two Druze detainees.

Suwayda has observed a ceasefire since July 19, following a week of armed clashes between Druze groups and Bedouin tribes amid Israeli military attacks in the area.

Syria’s transitional administration, formed after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, is working to restore stability across the country after nearly 25 years of authoritarian rule.