In what has become one of the most harrowing episodes in Syria’s post-Assad transition, the southern province of As-Suweida has descended into chaos, leaving behind charred buildings, mass graves, and accusations of war crimes. The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has documented 1,341 casualties—including 558 deaths—since the eruption of violence on July 13, marking the bloodiest confrontation in the Druze-majority region since the civil war began over a decade ago.
According to SNHR, among the dead are 17 women, 11 children, 6 medical personnel, and 2 media workers. Over 780 others have been wounded. The violence, they report, stems from a lethal combination of street clashes, extrajudicial killings, mutual shelling, and Israeli airstrikes. Victims include civilians, tribal fighters from Bedouin militias, local Druze factions, and personnel from Syria’s transitional security forces.
The physical toll is staggering. Corpses lie unburied in hospital courtyards and streets. Local outlet Suweida 24 described the city as “disaster-struck,” citing burned buildings, looted homes, and slogans daubed on walls like “We came for slaughter,” “All for you, O Jolani,” and “We are all Ahmad al-Sharaa”—a chilling mix of sectarian incitement and political messaging. One doctor at Suweida National Hospital warned of a looming health catastrophe as bodies decompose in the heat, saying the facility had become “a cemetery without soil.”
Despite reports of a ceasefire between Druze factions, Bedouin tribal forces, and the transitional Syrian government, the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic. Over 80,000 families have fled—many toward the Jordanian border—including more than a thousand Bedouin households, now relocated to villages in Daraa province.
Meanwhile, the Syrian government has announced the withdrawal of tribal fighters from Suweida and facilitated evacuations under temporary agreements. Still, eyewitnesses and human rights monitors accuse both state forces and allied militias of summary executions and torture. One video circulating online shows three men forced to jump from a building before being shot mid-air—an execution eerily reminiscent of the infamous 2022 Tadamon massacre.
The government’s response has sparked both domestic and international criticism. Syrian state media has downplayed the violence, promoting a sanitized narrative of “order restored” and “mutual reconciliation.” Rayan Maarouf, editor-in-chief of Suweida 24, accused these outlets of whitewashing atrocities and stoking sectarian hatred: “They filmed soldiers handing out water, while just behind them, the streets were soaked in blood.”
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International reactions have been swift but cautious. U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barak, speaking from Beirut, called for accountability and urged the Syrian government to protect minorities and investigate the atrocities. He stressed the importance of including Druze and other marginalized groups in Syria’s emerging state institutions: “The events in Suweida were horrific—indescribable. But they must not derail the fragile process of reunifying the country.”
Barak emphasized there is “no alternative” to working with Syria’s transitional government despite its limited capacity, noting the complexity of the conflict: “Tribalism and identity politics thrive in chaos. We must help build a central state that all Syrians can belong to.” He also acknowledged Israel’s airstrikes in the region but distanced the U.S. from any direct involvement, warning that Israeli actions added a “dangerous and confusing new layer” to an already volatile crisis.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also weighed in, publicly backing Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s “firm stance” on Suweida and vowing not to leave Syria “alone.” He blamed Israeli provocations for fueling instability and warned against attempts to divide Syria: “This is our region, and we won’t tolerate unilateral destabilization.”
According to Erdoğan, most Druze factions have reached a tentative agreement with other local groups and the Syrian government, though he accused one Israeli-backed Druze militia of obstructing peace efforts. Turkish intelligence and foreign ministry officials are reportedly in ongoing communication with American and European counterparts about de-escalation efforts.
Back in Suweida, survivors speak of betrayal, silence, and abandonment. “They made my father howl,” one exile said, recounting how his father narrowly escaped execution. “We’re being slaughtered—and no one cares,” said Nadia, a Syrian Druze woman watching from Germany. Fawziya al-Shaarani, an elderly villager, became a symbol of defiance when she took up arms and stood alone against an incoming tank. She was killed—but her image endures.
As talks continue in Amman and Beirut to secure ceasefires and prisoner exchanges, one truth remains undeniable: Suweida has bled. And while the fighters may leave, the wounds—etched in walls, in memories, and in the silence of those never found—remain open.
