More than 500 people have been killed after days of clashes, massacres, and Israeli airstrikes in Syria’s southern Suwayda province, according to numbers from the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Clashes began between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes, with the al-Qaeda-linked Syrian government quickly intervening against the Druze. Among the dead were 154 civilians, including 83 who were “summarily executed by members of the defense and interior ministries.”
The SOHR counted the deaths of 243 government personnel, including at least 15 who were killed by Israeli airstrikes, 79 Druze fighters, and 18 Bedouin fighters. Three members of the Bedouin tribes were also ” summarily executed by Druze fighters.”
The executions of Druze follow a pattern of mass killings of civilians by the new Syrian government, which is led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, the founder of al-Qaeda in Syria, who rebranded in recent years to gain international support. His group of Jihadists, known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, took power in Damascus in December 2024 after ousting former President Bashar al-Assad.
Sharaa claimed on Thursday that he would “protect” the Druze minority and that there would be accountability for “those who transgressed and abused our Druze people because they are under the protection and responsibility of the state.” However, there has been no accountability for the more than 1,500 civilians, mainly Alawites, who were massacred by government-linked fighters in March.
Sharaa said that government forces “succeeded in restoring stability and expelling outlaw factions in Suwayda, despite Israeli interventions” and said Israel was “sowing discord” by launching airstrikes.
Syrian government troops mostly withdrew from the area, though the government on Thursday accused the Druze of violating the ceasefire, suggesting that the fighting may not be over. The Syrian presidency accused Druze forces of conducting “horrific violence” against Bedouin civilians.
A Syrian Bedouin commander also told Reuters that Bedouin fighters were launching another offensive against Druze militias despite the ceasefire. He said that the truce only applied to government forces and not to them.
Israeli airstrikes continued in southern Syria on Thursday despite the US saying it doesn’t support the Israeli attacks. According to the SOHR, an Israeli drone hit a gathering of Bedouin fighters.
