Shafaq News- Damascus

Violence in Suwayda province in July 2025 killed 1,760 people and injured 2,188 others, a special investigation committee said on Tuesday.

Clashes between Bedouin and Druze groups between July 11 and 20 involved ambushes targeting government forces attempting to intervene, as well as Israeli airstrikes on government sites and command positions in Damascus, the report found. The committee noted that the widespread availability of weapons and the presence of armed groups outside institutional control hindered efforts to protect civilians, despite official directives, contributing to the scale of violations.

Investigators said they could not determine the final number of missing persons due to limited access to Suwayda city and gaps in available data. Preliminary findings documented 60 missing individuals from tribal (Bedouin) communities and 30 members of the Ministry of Defense.

The committee confirmed it had compiled a list of suspects that includes members of the Ministries of Defense and Interior, Druze groups, and civilians from Bedouin and tribal communities, with evidence linking them to intentional killings, armed robbery, torture, and incitement of sectarian strife under Syrian law.

On the humanitarian front, the committee recorded large-scale displacement, including 27,404 displaced individuals from tribal communities and 34,845 displaced Druze and Christians. They were distributed across shelters in Daraa, Sayyida Zainab, Zakia, Jaramana, and villages in the Mount Hermon area.

The report also pointed to the involvement of “external parties” in arson and looting, and documented cases of negligence by some security personnel in preventing tribal reinforcements from reaching the area. It stated that army and internal security forces initially attempted to block tribal fighters from entering Suwayda but failed due to their large numbers, as well as the withdrawal of some personnel after witnessing the scale of reciprocal abuses.

“At least 36 villages in Suwayda’s countryside were subjected to systematic burning and vandalism, including religious sites,” the report indicated, adding that factions from neighboring areas and outside the province carried out attacks in rural areas for looting and retaliation, leading to mass displacement among Druze residents. Additionally, Suwayda city and its surroundings witnessed retaliatory attacks by Druze armed groups targeting Bedouin communities, involving arson, looting, and destruction, which resulted in the forced displacement of most Bedouin families.

The committee confirmed that authorities have begun preliminary legal measures, including detaining several suspects and referring them to the judiciary.

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