DAMASCUS: Syrian government forces will enter the majority Druze city of Sweida, the interior ministry said on Tuesday, in an effort to bring an end to deadly clashes with Bedouin tribes.
Religious leaders from the Druze minority said in a statement they approved the entry of armed forces under the Damascus government, who were to impose a curfew on the southern city that has suffered two days of fighting which have killed around 100 people in the region.
The spiritual leaders also called on Druze factions to hand over their weapons.
The decision by the Damascus authorities followed two days of fighting that began between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes and have killed around 100 people.
"The forces of the interior and defence ministries will begin to enter the centre of Sweida city," the head of interior security in Sweida province, General Ahmad Dalati, said in a statement.
Government forces intervened in the fighting, saying they aimed to separate the warring parties, but have ended up in control of several Druze areas around Sweida, an AFP correspondent reported.
The reporter saw columns of Syrian military heading for the city on Tuesday morning, as well as heavy artillery surrounding it.
Israel, which portrays itself as a defender of the Druze and has previously intervened in Syria, launched strikes against government forces on Monday.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said the strikes were a "clear warning to the Syrian regime".
The violence began on Sunday when Bedouin gunmen abducted a Druze vegetable vendor on the highway to Damascus, prompting retaliatory kidnappings.
After overthrowing Bashar al-Assad in December, Syria's new government, headed by interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, has faced numerous challenges especially around security.