July 17, 2025 4:18 PM
Syria’s Sharaa vows to protect Druze rights as ceasefire holds
Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of trying to fracture Syria and promised to protect its Druze minority on Thursday, after U.S. intervention helped end deadly fighting between government forces and Druze fighters in the south. Overnight, the Islamist-led government's troops withdrew from the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, where scores of people have been killed in days of conflict. One local journalist said he'd counted more than 60 bodies in the streets of Sweida on Thursday ...