US mediating prisoner exchange talks between Damascus and Druze: Source

• U.S.-mediated talks are underway between Druze cleric Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri and Damascus over a prisoner swap following deadly unrest in Syria’s Sweida province.

Washington is mediating negotiations between a prominent Druze religious authority and the Syrian government over a prisoner exchange following the deadly violence that rocked the southern province of Sweida, according to a Druze source familiar with the talks.

The source, who requested anonymity, told AFP on Tuesday that “there are currently negotiations under U.S. mediation between Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri and the government in Damascus on a single issue: the file of detainees and prisoners.”

Sweida province, the heartland of Syria’s Druze minority, witnessed a week of clashes beginning July 13 between Druze gunmen and Bedouin fighters. The violence later escalated into broader confrontations after government forces intervened, followed by tribal fighters joining the Bedouin side.

According to the source, the mediation aims to secure the release by Syrian authorities of 61 civilians from Sweida who have been held in Adra prison near Damascus since the July events. In exchange, the National Guard, operating under al-Hijri’s authority, would release 30 personnel from the defense and interior ministries.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 2,000 people were killed in the violence, including 789 Druze civilians. Survivors and human rights groups reported violations and summary executions targeting members of the Druze minority during the unrest.

A ceasefire was reached starting July 20, but tensions have remained high and access to Sweida remains difficult. Residents accuse the government of imposing a siege on the province, where tens of thousands remain displaced, an allegation Damascus denies. Several aid convoys have entered the area since the truce.

In August, dozens of small armed factions merged into a formation known as the National Guard to unify military efforts under al-Hijri’s leadership. Part of the “Men of Dignity,” one of the most prominent armed factions in Sweida, joined the umbrella group.

Since then, al-Hijri has called for a separate autonomous region to protect the Druze and has established de facto authorities overseeing forces in Sweida city and surrounding towns, areas that remain outside full government control.

During the violence, 'Israel' carried out strikes near the presidential palace and on the General Staff headquarters in Damascus, repeatedly pledging to protect the Druze minority.

The Druze community is spread across parts of Syria, 'Israel', Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.