Syria’s defense ministry aware of ‘shocking violations’ in Sweida, launches investigation
The Syrian defense ministry announced on Tuesday that it is aware of reports detailing “shocking violations” committed by individuals wearing military fatigues in Sweida, a predominantly Druze city in southern Syria.
The ministry confirmed it has launched an investigation into the allegations, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Sectarian clashes have intensified in Sweida this month between the Druze community, a religious minority indigenous to the area, and Syrian Bedouin tribes. The unrest escalated into fierce battles involving Druze militias and government forces dispatched to restore order.
The violence has left more than 300 people dead and drew the involvement of neighboring Israel, which conducted airstrikes in southern Syria and on the defence ministry in Damascus last week. Israel stated its actions aimed to protect the Druze minority, which also constitutes a significant group within Israel.
On Friday, Israel and Syria agreed to a ceasefire brokered with support from Türkiye, Jordan, and other regional neighbors.
Syria’s Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra declared there would be “no tolerance” for any perpetrators of human rights abuses in Sweida, including those within the ministry’s own ranks. He said a special committee has been formed to investigate killings by individuals in military attire and to identify those responsible.
Separately, the Syrian interior ministry said it has launched a probe into reports of field executions carried out by “unknown people” in Sweida. Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din Al-Baba described the acts as “serious crimes” and emphasized ongoing efforts to identify those involved.
In a related development, a Syrian fact-finding committee reported on Tuesday that 1,426 people died in March during attacks on security forces and subsequent retaliatory killings of Alawite civilians. The committee concluded that commanders did not authorize the revenge attacks.
The recent unrest in Sweida marks some of the worst violence in Syria since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad last year. The new leadership—mainly former anti-Assad rebel fighters—faces renewed tensions involving minority groups in the country’s southwest region.
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