Syria: What’s behind the Druze-Bedouin conflict?
We explain who the groups are - and why fighting has broken out
What in the World · BBC World Service
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Show Notes
Violence has flared up again in Syria, this time in the southern province of Suweida. Fighting has broken out between the government forces and two minority groups: the Druze and the Bedouins. It’s not the first time that the stability of the country has been shaken since the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad last December. But it signals the challenges the new government faces - not just from internal violence, but from its neighbours. Israel launched air strikes on Suweida and the Syrian capital, Damascus, and says it will only hold a US-backed ceasefire if the Druze are protected. So, what’s behind this conflict - and what does it mean for the future of Syria?
We speak to BBC Monitoring journalist Tess Mallinder Heron, to explain who the different groups involved in the fighting are and what’s behind the dispute. And we hear from our BBC Middle East Correspondent in Damascus, Lina Sinjab, who tells us what life has been like for people in Syria since the fall of Assad’s regime - and how the new government is trying to maintain control in Syria.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity Wilde