Death toll in Suwayda violence surpasses 1,300 as watchdog warns of war crimes
Shafaq News – Damascus
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) on Thursday reported a new death toll of 1,386 people killed in the violent clashes that have gripped Suwayda province since July 13, including dozens of civilians, women, and children.
The UK-based monitor said Suwayda had entered a new and unprecedented phase of bloodshed following fierce confrontations between local armed groups and Syrian government forces backed by personnel from the Defense and Interior Ministries.
During this period, the province witnessed “serious human rights violations,” most notably the summary execution of dozens of civilians.
Between the outbreak of fighting on July 13 and the entry into force of a ceasefire on July 21, the Observatory documented the deaths of 238 individuals, including 30 women, 8 children, and an elderly man.
According to the report, all of them were executed on the spot by gunmen wearing the uniforms of the Syrian Defense and Interior Ministries. These executions reportedly took place across various locations in the province, including schools and public buildings used as makeshift detention centers.
The Observatory stated that field evidence and recorded testimonies indicated that several killings were carried out on sectarian and retaliatory grounds, amid widespread lawlessness and alleged involvement of state-affiliated forces responsible for civilian protection.
It warned that the massacres, which remain unaccounted for, highlight a “serious moral collapse” within Syria’s security and military institutions and the continued policy of impunity.
The overall death toll since July 13—including casualties from clashes, summary executions, and Israeli airstrikes—has risen to 1,386. Among the dead are 657 people from Suwayda, including 124 civilians, 10 children, and 24 women. At least 469 were personnel from the Syrian Ministry of Defense and the General Security Directorate, including 40 Bedouin tribal fighters and one Lebanese national.
The Observatory concluded that the events in Suwayda between July 13 and 21 constitute systematic killings and summary executions of civilians that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, and cannot be dismissed as isolated incidents.
