Suwayda province (southern Syria) witnessed cautious calm on Monday, August 18, particularly in its western countryside villages.

Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Daraa reported that no clashes were recorded over the past 24 hours, either in areas controlled by local factions in Suwayda or in those under the Internal Security Forces.

No humanitarian convoys entered the province through the Busra al-Sham crossing in eastern Daraa on Monday, according to the correspondent.

Regarding the evacuation of civilians from Suwayda, the correspondent noted that no new evacuations have taken place since the August 17 attack that targeted a civilian vehicle near the town of Kahil (eastern Daraa countryside) while it was traveling from Suwayda to Damascus via the “humanitarian crossing” at Busra al-Sham.

Four people were wounded in the attack, which coincided with the passage of a bus on the Suwayda, Damascus route, injuring its driver as well.

According to the correspondent, unidentified gunmen targeted the civilian car, injuring three people, including children, along with the bus driver. All of the injured were transferred to hospitals in Damascus.

The correspondent added that there is a Public Security Forces checkpoint three kilometers from the attack site, highlighting the difficulty of securing the entire route with only a single checkpoint located at the Masifra junction.

No improvement in services

Residents of Suwayda city have not witnessed any improvement in living conditions or services since the security tensions began on July 12.

Zaid al-Amir, a resident near al-Basha roundabout, told Enab Baladi that services remain poor: electricity is available for no more than three hours a day at best, and water pumping is very limited, forcing most families to rely on private wells.

He added that residents are also facing shortages of food and essential supplies. “Our household stocks, which we depended on, are nearly depleted,” he said, pointing as well to a shortage of bread that has become dependent on whether city bakeries operate and flour is available.

On August 16, a convoy of three tankers carrying gasoline entered Suwayda through the Busra al-Sham humanitarian corridor.

Tribes denounce separation calls

The head of the Internal Security Forces in Daraa, Brigadier General Shaher Jabr Omran, met on Monday with tribal leaders from the Lajat area and Suwayda province to strengthen community cooperation and consolidate stability in the region.

Omran emphasized the role of the tribes in maintaining order within their communities, upholding national values, and supporting state institutions in enforcing the law.

Tribal leaders expressed full support for official institutions, stressing their commitment to community unity and to working with authorities to bolster security and stability.

Enab Baladi’s correspondent reported that a separate meeting was held on Sunday between Bedouin tribes from Suwayda and Daraa in the town of al-Rakhm (Daraa province).

The meeting’s outcome included a rejection of the forced displacement of Bedouins from Suwayda and a demand for displaced families to return to their villages.

Bedouin tribes of Suwayda also rejected calls for separation from Syria, condemning the raising of the Israeli flag during the most recent demonstration in Suwayda, which had called for independence.

Local networks circulated footage of the demonstration in al-Karama Square in Suwayda city on August 16, where Druze religious flags and the Israeli flag were raised under the slogan “Right to Self-Determination.”

The protest also featured chants rejecting federalism and calling for “complete independence” from Syria, while expressing support for Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri.

Protesters voiced rejection of the Syrian government’s presence in Suwayda, labeling it “jihadists” and “ISIS.”

This was the first time such large crowds in Suwayda demanded independence and separation from Syria.

Suwayda, Southern Syria: Protests Demand Independence, Raise Israeli Flags