Government-backed peace mission degenerates into chaotic rampage, according to Syrian Druze.
In the Druze-majority city of Sweida, Syria, a severe sectarian conflict has erupted, resulting in a significant death toll and widespread brutality. The violence, which began in early July 2025, has been fuelled by clashes between local Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes, Syrian government forces, and their allies.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that government forces executed 12 civilians in a gueside house in Sweida. The death toll, which has risen to at least 248 people, includes 92 Druze, of whom 28 were civilians. Notably, 21 Druze individuals were reportedly subjected to summary executions by government forces.
Government-affiliated fighters have been accused of carrying out field executions and other severe abuses, including beating and mutilating Druze fighters and corpses, as well as humiliating captured Druze men. These actions have been documented in videos and reports that have emerged during the fighting in Sweida.
The Druze factions have resisted surrendering their territories to the government, citing grievances that the Syrian regime does not adequately represent Syria's diverse ethnic and religious communities. In response, Syrian government troops and allied fighters have deployed to reassert control over the Druze-majority areas.
Israel has intervened militarily in the conflict, conducting several airstrikes targeting Syrian government forces in Sweida, including strikes against a police headquarters and a tank. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized Israel’s commitment to defending the Druze, citing a close “brotherly alliance” with Druze citizens in Israel and their familial ties to the Druze in Syria. Israel has warned it will continue to act militarily unless Syrian regime forces withdraw from the Druze areas near the Israeli border, aiming to demilitarize the zone adjacent to its frontier.
The brutal nature of the conflict and involvement of multiple armed actors, including government forces, Bedouin tribes, and external players like Israel, make the situation complex and volatile. The Druze community, historically a distinct religious minority in Syria, now faces significant security challenges and potential displacement due to the ongoing violence and military interventions.
Smoke was observed rising over several areas of the city of approximately 150,000 people. An AFP correspondent found a group of displaced civilians sheltering in a mosque in the nearby village of Walgha. Another resident reported seeing armed men in civilian clothes looting shops and setting fires. The forces were accompanied by Bedouin fighters who joined in attacking the Druze. Bedouin fighters rode through the streets on a government tank, brandishing their weapons.
Unverified video footage showed armed men forcibly shaving off an elderly Druze man's moustache. The Israeli military carried out several air strikes on the forces that entered Sweida, with the stated aim of ending sectarian violence. However, some analysts believe it was a pretext for pursuing Israel's own military goals.
Rayan Maarouf, editor in chief of the Suwayda 24 news website, stated that government forces indulged in savage practices instead of restoring order. Thousands of Sweida's residents fled seeking safety nearer the Jordanian border. Syria's defense minister declared a "complete ceasefire" in Sweida, but locals reported that the announcement had little effect on the ground.
One Sweida resident reported executions, houses and shops being torched, and robberies and looting. Several statues were toppled in public squares by the fighters. Government troops and their allies rampaged through Druze neighborhoods in Sweida, prompting thousands from the religious minority to flee.
The violence against civilians has occurred multiple times in Sweida since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, with former rebels and fighters without clear uniforms involved. Despite the Syrian government's efforts to reassert control, the situation remains volatile and complex, with significant humanitarian concerns for the Druze community in Sweida.
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights highlighted the execution of 12 civilians in a gueside house in Sweida by government forces, adding to the general-news and crime-and-justice concerns in the region, particularly about human rights violations.
- The brutal sectarian conflict in Sweida, Syria, has escalated with Israel's military intervention, adding another layer of complexity to the politics of the Middle East, as Israel defends its Druze allies in both Israel and Syria, citing their shared history.
- Amidst the ongoing war-and-conflicts in Sweida, thousands of Druze civilians have fled their homes due to the violence, displacement, and looting by several armed groups, raising significant humanitarian issues and calls for international intervention to uphold human rights.
