Evening Brief: Renewed Clashes in Syria’s Sweida Province Displace 80,000 as Ceasefire Breaks Down

· Guy D. McCardle

Syrian government forces (Image grab via X)

Tonight’s SOFREP Evening Brief for Friday, July 18, 2025, cuts through a packed day of high-stakes developments. Syria’s sectarian conflict deepens as a fragile truce collapses. The US tightens immigration enforcement at military sites, while Trump’s shift from aid to trade shakes African economies. Meanwhile, drone warfare training ramps up, the US Navy admits delays in a key shipyard overhaul, and international tensions simmer from Gaza to Moscow. Here’s what you need to know.

—

 

Renewed Clashes in Syria’s Sweida Province Displace 80,000 as Ceasefire Breaks Down

Government forces in Syria prepared to reenter Sweida province Friday following failed efforts to stabilize the region after four days of deadly clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes.

The fighting, which reignited Thursday despite a US- and Turkey-backed ceasefire, has displaced nearly 80,000 people and devastated essential services.

The violence began Sunday after Bedouin gunmen allegedly assaulted a Druze man, sparking retaliatory attacks. Government forces intervened, siding with Bedouin groups, which fueled allegations of executions and looting against Druze civilians.

Israel launched airstrikes in support of the Druze, targeting Syrian military convoys and the defense ministry in Damascus.

Efforts to mediate a ceasefire initially resulted in a temporary government withdrawal, leaving Druze factions responsible for internal security. But the truce collapsed, and Druze militias reportedly launched revenge raids against Bedouin communities, triggering further displacement into neighboring Daraa province.

The United Nations reports that Sweida’s water, electricity, and telecom systems have collapsed. Aid groups remain unable to access the province due to road closures and ongoing clashes, though trauma care has reached Daraa.

Militants also kidnapped Hamza al-Amarin, head of the White Helmets in Sweida, as he escorted a UN team.

The conflict has drawn in fighters from other regions, including Bedouin reinforcements from eastern Syria. Calls for unity are emerging across the region, with Lebanese Druze leaders rejecting Israeli intervention and urging national reconciliation to end the sectarian violence.

 

Israel Blocks Visas for UN Agency Leaders Amid Mounting Gaza Tensions

Israel has refused to renew visas for the heads of three key United Nations agencies operating in Gaza—Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)—drawing sharp criticism from UN humanitarian officials.

UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the Security Council that Israel is restricting access as retaliation for the UN’s advocacy for Palestinian civilian protection.

The local leaders affected include Jonathan Whittall (OCHA), Ajith Sunghay (OHCHR), and Philippe Lazzarini (UNRWA), the latter already barred from entering Gaza.

Israel has long accused UNRWA of ties to Hamas, allegations the agency denies.

Since the October 7 Hamas-led attacks, Israeli officials claim the agency is infiltrated by militants and complicit in the assault.

At the UN, Fletcher described Gaza’s conditions as catastrophic, accusing Israel—under the Geneva Conventions—of failing to provide for civilian needs. He said aid workers face growing denials of entry, including 56% of emergency medical teams turned away in 2025.

Over 58,000 Palestinians have died in the war, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Israel rejected the UN’s claims, accusing OCHA of political bias and defending its actions as part of its war against Hamas. It also continues to block other UN personnel, aid workers, and journalists from entering Gaza.

Israel has also labeled the UN-backed Gaza inquiry commission and Human Rights Council investigator Francesca Albanese as antisemitic. Albanese previously accused Israel of genocide—a claim Israel and the US reject. The Trump administration recently imposed sanctions against her.

 

Trump Shifts US-Africa Policy from Aid to Trade, Sparking Economic Uncertainty

US President Donald Trump has unveiled a new US-Africa strategy focused on “commercial diplomacy” over humanitarian aid, signaling a shift that prioritizes trade deals and American business interests while scaling back traditional assistance.

At a recent Washington summit with five African leaders, Trump pledged support for business-focused engagement but drew criticism for tariffs and aid cuts that are already impacting African economies.

The administration shut down USAID, previously a $12 billion humanitarian lifeline, and now evaluates US diplomats based on how well they promote local and American business ventures.

Officials tout $6 billion in early agreements and $2.5 billion more from a US-Africa business summit, with projects in energy, agriculture, and tourism.

However, Trump’s 30% tariffs on South African goods and threats of further duties on BRICS-aligned nations have hurt exports and threatened over 100,000 African jobs. Lesotho’s textile sector, Madagascar’s vanilla farmers, and Nigeria’s oil exporters are among the hardest hit.

Uncertainty surrounds the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a key US trade program set to expire in September. Trump officials have signaled that future trade preferences may require reciprocal deals favoring US interests.

Meanwhile, China is expanding its footprint by offering zero-tariff access to 53 African countries, intensifying global competition for the continent’s resources and markets.

Critics warn Trump’s “trade over aid” approach could leave Africa economically vulnerable once strategic resources are secured.

Despite early business gains, long-term trust in US engagement remains in question.

 

Trump Administration Expands Migrant Detention to Fort Dix and Camp Atterbury

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to detain migrants at two additional US military installations—Fort Dix in New Jersey and Camp Atterbury in Indiana—as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing militarization of immigration enforcement.

Fort Dix, a National Guard training site, and Camp Atterbury, a Midwest Guard field training center, have been tapped to house migrants alongside other military-supported sites, including a new deportation hub under construction at Fort Bliss, Texas, and an encampment in Florida dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.” Guantanamo Bay is also being used to hold migrants deemed “low threat.”

Roughly 9,000 active-duty troops are currently deployed to the US-Mexico border.

DHS has also involved Marines and National Guard units in recent raids, including operations that reportedly swept up American citizens.

New Jersey Democrats issued a joint statement condemning the use of Fort Dix for detention, calling it a misuse of military resources and an escalation of radical immigration policies that have resulted in unlawful deportations and mistreatment of migrants.

Both Fort Dix and Camp Atterbury previously housed Afghan and Ukrainian refugees, and Atterbury also served as a World War II prisoners of war (POW) camp. Details on the number of migrants to be held or the operational start date remain unclear.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assured lawmakers that military readiness would not be affected by the new detention roles.

 

US Navy Acknowledges Delays, Rising Costs in $20B Shipyard Overhaul Plan

The US Navy’s top officials overseeing the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan (SIOP) now admit the original $20 billion, 21-year timeline laid out in 2018 by then-Navy Secretary Richard Spencer is outdated.

While they didn’t release new figures, program leads Capt. Luke Greene and Mark Edelson confirmed in a recent interview with Breaking Defense that the rising construction costs and pandemic-related disruptions have significantly altered expectations.

SIOP was designed to modernize the Navy’s four aging public shipyards—Norfolk, Pearl Harbor, Portsmouth, and Puget Sound—with new dry docks, reconfigured workflows, and upgraded tools to improve turnaround times for nuclear submarines and carriers.

Dry docks average 89 to 123 years old, and Navy officials concede their designs are outdated for modern platforms like the Ford-class carriers.

Despite the revised outlook, Greene and Edelson assert that the program is delivering tangible results. To date, 45 projects totaling $1.2 billion have been completed, with $6 billion invested in 47 more. They project maintenance timelines for submarines could be cut by up to three months, improving overall readiness and extending deployments in strategic areas like the Indo-Pacific’s second island chain.

Norfolk Naval Shipyard
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in dry dock at Norfolk Naval Shipyard for maintenance, October 2013. (DVIDS)

Officials also point to lessons learned during implementation, including changes in seismic resilience standards and logistical insights that shifted facility designs away from waterfront bottlenecks.

The Navy continues to request roughly $2.7 billion annually to fund SIOP efforts and has begun approving long-term development roadmaps across all shipyards.

While the modernization effort faces escalating costs, Navy leadership maintains the overhaul is critical to sustaining nuclear fleet readiness and meeting global combatant commander demands.

The program’s scope has shifted from conceptual planning to executing large-scale upgrades that address decades of infrastructure neglect.

 

Pentagon Launches FPV ‘Top Gun’ Drone Combat Training as US Accelerates Drone Warfare Innovation

Under President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s push for “American drone dominance,” the Pentagon is overhauling drone warfare training and acquisition, starting with Top Gun-style first-person view (FPV) drone combat exercises.

The Pentagon plans to host intensive FPV drone-versus-drone air combat training this August during the semiannual Technology Readiness Experimentation (T-REX 25-2) wargame.

FPV drones—once recreational racing devices—have proven devastating on the battlefield in Ukraine, serving as low-cost, precision-guided kamikaze weapons.

The Pentagon is now establishing dedicated FPV training schools to develop elite operators capable of outmaneuvering advanced anti-drone defenses.

T-REX 25-2 will simulate urban and base-level combat, focusing on low-cost, short-range air defense and integrating “passive and multi-spectral air-surveillance kill chains.” The wargames will test hardware, software, artificial intelligence (AI) coordination, and command networks under real combat-like conditions.

Led by Lt. Col. Matt Limeberry at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, T-REX conducts rolling tech evaluations every 30 days and showcases results to US Combatant Commands. The program emphasizes rapid innovation, allowing commercial firms—ranging from small contractors like Berry Aviation to major players like Amazon AWS—to participate in trials.

Undersecretary of Defense Emil Michael confirmed that 18 new unmanned systems, including the Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie, graduated from T-REX in under 18 months, far faster than traditional acquisition timelines.

The drone experimentation pipeline, formerly known as the Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve (RDER), has now become the default method for fast-tracking cutting-edge capabilities to frontline units.

 

Ukraine, US Finalizing Deal to Boost Domestic Drone Production and Joint Procurement

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced Friday that Kyiv and Washington are in advanced talks on a major “drone deal” involving US investment in Ukraine’s domestic drone manufacturing.

The agreement will include the US purchasing Ukrainian-made, battlefield-proven drones and supporting production expansion.

Svyrydenko confirmed the political green light came from Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump, with technical negotiations underway.

Zelenskyy recently told the New York Post that the deal would involve reciprocal purchases—US acquisition of Ukrainian drones and Ukraine buying American-made weapons.

The announcement follows a government reshuffle in Kyiv aimed at accelerating defense industrial growth and tightening strategic ties with allies.

Economy Minister Oleksiy Sobolev added that a US-Ukrainian joint fund, tied to the broader arms and reconstruction strategy, will hold its first board meeting before summer’s end.

Svyrydenko, already familiar to US officials, previously negotiated a critical minerals access deal with Washington, positioning herself as a key player in deepening US-Ukraine defense and economic cooperation.

 

Kremlin: US-Russia Ceasefire Ultimatum Won’t Derail Broader Diplomatic Talks

The Kremlin stated Friday that it does not believe US President Donald Trump’s hardened stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine signals the end of US-Russia diplomatic engagement.

Trump recently gave Moscow a 50-day deadline to agree to a Ukraine ceasefire or face new sanctions and pledged to supply more missiles to Kyiv, a move condemned by Russia’s Foreign Ministry.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the strained US-Russia relationship but insisted the ceasefire push and bilateral ties are separate issues. He admitted relations remain in a “deplorable state” with many unresolved problems, and that improving them would be difficult and time-consuming.

Trump’s administration had shown early signs of warming relations with Moscow after returning to office in January, but his growing frustration with President Vladimir Putin’s ceasefire demands has slowed progress.

Although Russia and Ukraine held two rounds of peace talks in Turkey earlier this year, which led to prisoner and remains exchanges, no further negotiations are scheduled, and major disagreements remain.

 

Venezuela Frees 10 Americans in Prisoner Swap with US and El Salvador

Venezuela released 10 jailed Americans on Friday in a three-way deal with the United States and El Salvador, marking a diplomatic win for all sides involved.

The US secured the release of citizens held under dubious charges by the Maduro regime, while Venezuela gained the return of over 250 of its nationals previously detained in El Salvador under President Trump’s immigration crackdown.

The swap centers on Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador and held in the notorious CECOT mega-prison under the Alien Enemies Act. Many had been accused, without public evidence, of gang affiliations.

Human rights groups condemned the detentions as abusive, citing documented cases of torture and deaths inside the facility.

Among the freed Americans were individuals arrested in 2024 on vague charges of destabilization. The group included Lucas Hunter, allegedly kidnapped by border guards, and Navy SEAL Wilbert Casteneda, initially accused of plotting a coup.

Despite the US not recognizing Nicolás Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader following disputed 2024 elections, the Biden administration and Trump officials have engaged in several backchannel negotiations.

Trump envoy Richard Grenell helped broker multiple prisoners releases this year.

The deal strengthens Maduro’s domestic standing, allowing him to showcase the return of detained citizens while pushing back against US human rights criticisms. It also helps Trump advance his promise to bring home detained Americans while continuing to deport foreign nationals accused of crimes.

Though tensions remain high, the swap reflects ongoing, pragmatic engagement between Washington and Caracas, even amid political hostility and competing claims of legitimacy.

 

Cambodia Arrests Over 2,100 in Major Crackdown on Online Scam Networks

Cambodian authorities have arrested at least 2,137 suspects in a nationwide crackdown on online scam operations since June 27, including 500 detained this week in Kandal and Stung Treng provinces, according to Information Minister Neth Pheaktra.

Raids across 43 locations targeted transnational scam centers, netting nationals from over a dozen countries: 589 Chinese, 429 Vietnamese, 271 Indonesians, 70 Bangladeshis, 57 South Koreans, and 42 Pakistanis among others.

The crackdown follows mounting international pressure over cybercrime syndicates operating in Southeast Asia, which the UN says generate billions annually through online fraud schemes.

Prime Minister Hun Manet recently issued a directive threatening dismissal for state officials who fail to aggressively combat cybercrime.

Since January, Cambodia has prosecuted 73 cases, deported 2,322 foreigners, and dismantled 18 scam networks.

Human rights groups like Amnesty International report that scam centers often trap foreign jobseekers under violent conditions. Amnesty’s investigation also raised concerns about potential collusion between local police and Chinese crime bosses running these networks.

Local rights group Licadho welcomed the operation, calling it overdue and essential to restoring Cambodia’s global reputation and internal security.

Authorities confirmed the campaign will continue with full backing from national leadership.

 

Sources: News Agencies