DAMASCUS, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Clashes in the western countryside of Syria's Sweida knocked out a major power line on Friday, causing widespread blackouts, according to a war monitor, as violence escalated alongside reported Israeli strikes overnight.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that fighting between Syrian government forces and local Druze fighters disabled a 66-kilovolt high-voltage line supplying electricity to the cities of Sweida and Shahbaa, leading to a complete blackout in Shahba and large parts of Sweida.
The monitor reported a sharp increase in ceasefire violations, with mortars fired from Tel al-Hadid, an area it said is controlled by transitional government forces and allied tribal fighters, toward positions in the western countryside.
A local Druze militia responded by targeting the source of the shelling, triggering clashes involving medium and heavy weapons.
Earlier Friday, a rocket struck a residential home in Sweida city, wounding two civilians, the Observatory said.
There was no immediate confirmation of casualties from the fighting.
Sweida, a predominantly Druze province in southern Syria, has witnessed recurring tensions between government forces and local armed groups in recent years, despite informal ceasefire arrangements reached after the political transition in late 2024. In recent days, tensions had been rising amid reports of armed mobilization and mutual accusations of violations.
The developments came as the Israeli military said it carried out overnight strikes on Syrian military targets in southern Syria, including a command headquarters and weapons depots.
In a statement, the Israeli army said the strikes were in response to what it described as an attack on Druze civilians in Sweida province.
Since the violence in Sweida escalated a year ago, Israel has portrayed itself as a "protector" of the Druze rights in southern Syria, citing its own Druze community and viewing the Druze as a viable ally in Syria's shifting dynamics.
There was no immediate comment from Syrian authorities on the Israeli claim. Syrian officials have previously said they guarantee equal rights for all communities, and have accused Israel of using such allegations as a pretext to interfere in Syria's internal affairs. ■
