BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian government fighters entered the city of Sweida over the summer in an apparent bid to assert control over the enclave of the Druze minority that for years had operated in semiautonomy.

It backfired. Sectarian attacks on Druze civilians during the ensuing fighting have hardened Sweida’s stance against the government, pushed it toward Israel, and led some in the minority sect to go as far as calling for secession.

Now Druze groups have set up a de facto military and governmental body in Sweida, similar to the Kurdish-led authorities in the country’s northeast. It is a major setback for Damascus struggling to exert its authority across the country following a 13-year civil war and win the support of minorities.

When former President Bashar Assad was brought

See Full Page