Preparations are underway to reopen and secure the Damascus–Suwayda highway (southern Syria), restoring traffic after more than a month of closure.
The Syrian Interior Ministry’s media office told Enab Baladi on Thursday, August 21, that the highway would reopen within a week.
The main road between Damascus and Suwayda has been closed since July 13 following a series of attacks involving local factions in Suwayda and Bedouin tribes, in which Public Security forces and the Ministry of Defense intervened.
No cross-border corridor
Separately, a government source denied to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on Wednesday, August 20, the existence of any cross-border humanitarian corridor, stressing that aid is provided exclusively through coordination with state institutions in Damascus.
The unnamed government source justified the position by citing a “commitment to ensuring safe and organized delivery of aid to all those in need, including Suwayda province and other regions.”
He added that the Syrian government had granted UN agencies the necessary approvals and facilities to carry out their humanitarian tasks, while national relief convoys continue to operate regularly, reflecting what he called “Syria’s commitment to providing humanitarian needs in cooperation with its international partners.”
The denial came after reports of coordination between Syria and Israel to open a humanitarian corridor into Suwayda during a meeting between the two sides in Paris on Tuesday.
Previous closures
On May 1, representatives of the Druze community in Suwayda issued a statement urging the government to assume responsibility for securing the road to Damascus, stressing the need to impose security and stability across Syrian territory.
The road was previously reopened on July 3 after being closed due to clashes between two security groups near the al-Masmiyah checkpoint east of Daraa, when Internal Security forces intervened to restore order following complaints of checkpoint personnel colluding with perpetrators of repeated attacks on travelers.
However, the deadly events of July 13 forced the road’s closure once again, as battles escalated on Suwayda’s outskirts and inside the province.
On July 19, the Syrian Interior Ministry announced it had reached a ceasefire agreement in Suwayda that included securing the Damascus–Suwayda road and guaranteeing the safety of travelers.
The agreement came after negotiations between Syria’s transitional president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with U.S. sponsorship and support from Turkey, Jordan, and neighboring states.
Beginning of tensions
The tensions began after a robbery targeting civilian Fadlallah Dawara on July 12, when unidentified gunmen ambushed him near the village of Kharbet al-Shayab (south of Damascus) as he was returning to Suwayda with his truck loaded with vegetables.
The incident escalated into reciprocal kidnappings between Bedouin tribes on Suwayda’s fringes and local factions, sparking armed clashes that drew in the Defense and Interior ministries.
While the government reached an agreement with local notables and faction leaders, others rejected the deal and launched counterattacks with Israeli backing.
The joint security campaign by Defense and Interior forces was marred by violations against fighters and civilians, which were met with abuses by local factions carrying out the counteroffensive that extended into Bedouin villages.
Transitional Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa later announced the withdrawal of Defense and Interior Ministry forces from Suwayda to avoid an “open confrontation with Israel,” leaving the province’s administration to Druze community leaders and local factions.
Following the withdrawal, southern Syria witnessed tribal mobilization and concentrated attacks against local factions in Suwayda, amid violations attributed to Bedouin groups, before a ceasefire agreement was reached between Syria and Israel.
Today, the province is experiencing relative calm after the signing of the internationally brokered ceasefire.
Damascus sets date to reopen Suwayda highway Enab Baladi.
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