Syria Prisoner Swap Marks First Step Toward Peace in Southern Province

Syrian government troops and Druze militia forces completed a prisoner exchange Thursday, releasing 86 detainees captured during deadly summer fighting. The swap represents the first major breakthrough in U.S. and Jordan-led efforts to negotiate peace between the warring groups in Sweida province.

SWEIDA PROVINCE, Syria — In a significant development toward potential peace, Syrian government troops and Druze militia forces completed a prisoner exchange Thursday, releasing detainees captured during violent summer confrontations that left hundreds dead.

The prisoner swap marks the first substantial breakthrough in diplomatic efforts led by the United States and Jordan to negotiate a political agreement between the opposing forces.

Government officials released 25 detainees while Druze-controlled regional leaders freed 61 prisoners at a checkpoint in the al-Matuna region of northern Sweida province. The International Committee of the Red Cross oversaw the exchange process.

Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba explained to reporters that negotiators reached the prisoner agreement “through the combined efforts of international and local parties, and it reflects the Syrian state’s commitment to all its citizens, from all backgrounds and affiliations and across all provinces.”

Stephan Sakalian, who leads the ICRC delegation in Syria, said he “hopes that this operation will pave the way toward possible further releases and dialogue between all parties on other humanitarian concerns,” including determining what happened to individuals who disappeared during the conflict.

The violence erupted in mid-July when armed militias loyal to Druze leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri fought with local Bedouin tribes, prompting government military intervention that essentially supported the Bedouin side.

The fighting resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths, predominantly among the Druze population, with many killed by government soldiers. Tens of thousands of residents from both Druze and Bedouin communities fled their homes during the conflict.

Following the violence, numerous militia groups united under al-Hijri’s leadership, establishing effective autonomous control over large portions of the province with backing from neighboring Israel.

After former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s removal by Islamist-led rebel forces in December 2024, Syria’s new leadership has faced challenges in reunifying the nation and establishing authority throughout its territory.

Last month’s agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which governs much of northeastern Syria, represented a major step toward consolidation — leaving Sweida as the primary region still operating outside central government authority.

The Druze faith originated as a 10th-century branch of Ismailism, which stems from Shiite Islam. More than half of the world’s approximately one million Druze population resides in Syria, with most others living in Lebanon and Israel, including the Golan Heights territory that Israel captured from Syria in 1967 and subsequently annexed.