Syrian South Faces Fresh Security Strains

Syrian authorities are struggling to maintain order in the country's south as multiple security incidents unfold simultaneously across Daraa, Suwayda, and the Damascus suburbs.

State news agency SANA reported on October 25 that armed men attacked a highway checkpoint in the Busra al-Sham area of eastern Daraa province. One security officer was killed and another wounded before specialized units of the Internal Security Forces exchanged fire and arrested the attackers. SANA stated that investigations into the motives are ongoing. This incident followed a similar attack on October 13 on the Salamiyah-Athriya road in eastern Hama province, where three highway security officers died when their patrol was hit.

Tensions also remain high in neighboring Suwayda province. SANA reported that armed groups blocked the main highway connecting the province to Damascus in both directions at the Um al-Zaytoun checkpoint on Saturday. Qutaiba Azzam, director of media relations at the Suwayda Media Department, confirmed that local groups stopped traffic. He noted that approximately 100 employees were prevented from reaching work earlier in the week, and students had previously been blocked from traveling to take national exams. Druze authorities have rejected government accounts of the crisis and expressed anger over remarks by US Envoy Tom Barrack, who criticized the area as a hub for drug smuggling.

Suwayda Governor Mustafa al-Bakour warned of worsening security and difficult living conditions on October 18. He accused armed groups of kidnappings, threats, and obstructing resolution efforts. The Druze community, which operates with varying degrees of independence from central control, also points to a massacre in July 2025 that killed more than 1,000 people, accusing the government of complicity.

Near the capital, security forces continued operations against suspected Islamic State cells. Rudaw reported that two Internal Security Forces members were killed and five wounded during an operation in Rankous, located 45 kilometers north of Damascus. The forces said suspects opened fire after refusing to surrender. Five suspected ISIS members were killed and six were arrested, with weapons and explosive belts seized. The General Intelligence Service participated in the operation. This followed an October 16 announcement that authorities foiled an alleged ISIS plot against a police patrol in the Damascus countryside, resulting in two arrests and the seizure of an explosive device.

The security environment in the south is further complicated by Israeli demands that the region be demilitarized. Israel has requested that only lightly armed Interior Ministry forces be deployed there. A Syrian man was killed last week during Israeli patrols in the area, which sparked local protests. A Lead Inspector General report from August 27 noted that while ISIS attacks decreased after US forces withdrew in April, attacks on Syrian government forces have continued.