Syrian highway from Damascus to Sweida reopens weeks after sectarian violence

Syrian highway from Damascus to Sweida reopens weeks after sectarian violence World Aug 28, 2025 2:08 PM EDT

SWEIDA, Syria (AP) — An aid convoy entered the city of Sweida in southern Syria via the main highway from Damascus on Thursday, for the first time since a major outbreak of sectarian violence last month shook the country’s fragile recovery from nearly 14 years of civil war.

Clashes broke out in mid-July between government forces and local Bedouin tribesmen on one side, and fighters from the country’s Druze minority on the other. Hundreds were killed and tens of thousands displaced, and allegations have surfaced of government fighters executing Druze civilians and looting and burning houses.

Though the fighting has largely calmed down, government forces have surrounded the south