Syrian forces leave Sweida
Newshour
BBC
4.4 • 984 Ratings
🗓️ 17 July 2025
⏱️ 47 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Syrian government forces have left the southern city of Sweida, where days of sectarian clashes involving the Druze minority have left hundreds dead. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa made a call for unity in the middle of the night.
Also in the programme: proof that a technique using genetic material from three people to create embryos is leading to children born free of incurable and devastating mitochondrial disease; and an interview with Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained for more than 100 days after taking part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to NewsHour from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:07.2 | We're coming to live from London. I'm Rob Young. |
| 0:11.0 | After days of deadly sectarian clashes in Syria, |
| 0:14.3 | government forces have today largely withdrawn from the southern city of Sweda, |
| 0:18.8 | the heartland of the minority Druze community. |
| 0:22.0 | The move follows powerful Israeli airstrikes on key buildings in the capital Damascus after |
| 0:27.3 | Syrian troops entered Sweda. Israel said it acted to protect the Druze. It's since been reported |
| 0:33.3 | that at least 500 people have been killed in recent days in fighting between the Druze and Arab-Bedouin tribes. |
| 0:41.2 | In the early hours of Thursday, |
| 0:42.4 | the Syrian interim president, Ahmed al-Shara, made a call for unity. |
| 0:49.0 | I also address the Druze people who are an integral part of the fabric of this nation. |
| 0:55.6 | Syria will never be a place for division or fragmentation or suing discord among its people. |
| 1:03.0 | We assure you that protecting your rights and freedom is one of our priorities, and we reject |
| 1:09.7 | any effort that aims to drag you to an external party |
| 1:14.4 | or to create division within our ranks. We are all partners in this land. Well, let's cross to |
| 1:22.1 | Damascus now, speak to our correspondent who is there, Lena Sinjab. Lena, what are you hearing |
| 1:26.9 | from Suwait? |
| 1:27.6 | Is the violence now over? |
| 1:30.2 | Well, the violence seems to be over. |
| 1:32.5 | There are some reports of some shooting heard by the residents that's happening on the |
| 1:38.6 | outskirts of the city, but inside the city centre, things seem to be going back to normal. |
| 1:46.1 | However, the scene on the street is really horrific. I spoke to one person who said that they are collecting bodies from the |
... |
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