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Syrian security forces have been accused of conducting random killings of civilians in Sweida, a Druze-majority area, after last week’s confrontations with Bedouin tribes. At least 19 individuals were executed by the Syrian government troops and allied factions in and around the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday.
The violence comes after a weekend of bloodshed between Druze militants and Bedouin tribesmen, killing more than 100 people. The government troops intervened, reportedly to drive the combatants apart, but then took over several Druze districts in Sweida province.
The UK-based Observatory alleged that Syrian defence and interior ministries security personnel carried out field executions of 12 civilians at the Radwan family guesthouse in Sweida. Four Druze civilians were also killed at another guesthouse, and three siblings were reportedly executed before their mother north of the city.
Although the majority of Druze clerics endorsed the government intervention, prominent cleric Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri demanded resistance, terming the campaign “brutal.” Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra later declared a ceasefire, and the shooting apparently died down. Government soldiers were observed hoisting the Syrian flag in the city center.
During the chaos, Israel had struck Syrian regime troops and equipment saying it was to secure the Druze population and stop Syrian military consolidation on its border. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they planned to make the region demilitarized. The Israeli military confirmed it had struck military vehicles in Sweida, which the Syrian state media also reported.
Damascus denounced the Israeli attacks as a “treacherous aggression,” reporting the deaths of security personnel and civilians. The events are barely days after Syria’s Islamist-led government had its first in-person meeting with an Israeli official in Azerbaijan.
US special envoy Tom Barrack voiced concern over the intensifying violence, urging a peaceful resolution between Druze, Bedouin, Syrian, and Israeli parties.
Skirmishes broke out after Bedouin gunmen kidnapped a Druze fruit and vegetable vendor, leading to retaliatory kidnappings and general clashes. The Observatory said there had been 116 fatalities since Sunday, including 64 Druze rebels, 34 government troops, and 18 Bedouin.
Residents are still afraid of more violence, comparing it to past massacres in Syria’s war-torn northwest.
