Syrian security forces deploy amid clashes in the southern Sweida city. AFP
In a phone call between the two leaders, Erdogan said the fighting in Sweida “posed a threat to the entire region” and demanded that Israel end its interference in Syria.
Putin, according to the Kremlin’s readout, underscored the “importance of rapidly stabilising the situation through dialogue,” while expressing alarm at the scale of the violence.
Sweida, a majority-Druze province in southern Syria, has been the site of heavy clashes since Sunday, as Druze fighters battled Sunni Bedouin tribes, the army, and its allies, leaving hundreds dead.
On Thursday, Erdogan warned Israel was exploiting the Druze minority as cover for “expanding its banditry into neighbouring Syria,” calling its actions “the biggest problem in our region.”
Israel has said it will continue its attacks on Syrian military positions and infrastructure until Syria’s government withdraws from Sweida.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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