89 killed in escalating Druze-Bedouin clashes in Syria's Sweida: war monitor

At least 89 people were killed and about 200 others injured over the past two days in escalating clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes in southern Syria's Sweida province, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Syrian defense authority, in a statement carried by the state-run SANA news agency, put the death toll at more than 30 and the injuries at some 100.

Attributing the escalating clashes to a breakdown of institutional control, the Syrian defense authority stated that specialized military units had been deployed to separate the warring factions and secure evacuation routes for civilians. The defense authority urged restraint, warned that continued fighting would only deepen civilian suffering, and affirmed its commitment to restoring stability through coordinated operations with interior forces.

Footage shared by China Global Television Network (CGTN) showed armed fighters clashing late Monday in Sweida, with fierce exchanges of fire between the conflicting parties.

The root of the conflict lies in an earlier incident where a young Druze man was assaulted and robbed by armed Bedouins at a temporary checkpoint near al-Masmiyah. In retaliation, local Druze fighters detained several Bedouin members, escalating the situation.

89 killed in escalating Druze-Bedouin clashes in Syria's Sweida: war monitor

The multilateral system is "under attack" amid global turmoil, President of the 80th UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock warned in her remarks on Wednesday.

In her briefing on the priorities for the resumed 80th Session of the General Assembly, the UNGA president noted that the current multilateral system does not collapse all in a sudden, but "crumbles piece by piece" in divisions, compromises, and lack of political commitment.

The president called all the UN member states to defend the UN Charter and international law and promote cross-regional cooperation.

She also urged to push forward the work of the UNGA on certain critical issues with a strong majority, rather than an absolute consensus among all member states. Such act is not a failure of multilateralism, but "an affirmation of it," she said.

The foundational principles of the institution should not be eroded by appeasement, she said, calling the member states to show courage, leadership, and responsibility at the UN's "critical make-or-break moment."

"The UN needs you. Your support, your leadership, your principle, stand, your cross-regional cooperation, if we are to preserve and modernize this institution, if we are to make it, rather than break it," she said.

UNGA President warns global multilateral system "under attack"