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Shafaq News- Damascus<\/p>\n
Violence in Suwayda province in July 2025 killed 1,760 people and
\ninjured 2,188 others, a special investigation committee said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Clashes between Bedouin and Druze groups between July 11 and 20 involved
\nambushes targeting government forces attempting to intervene, as well as
\nIsraeli airstrikes on government sites and command positions in Damascus, the
\nreport found. The committee noted that the widespread availability of weapons
\nand the presence of armed groups outside institutional control hindered efforts
\nto protect civilians, despite official directives, contributing to the scale of
\nviolations.<\/p>\n
Investigators said they could not determine the final number of missing
\npersons due to limited access to Suwayda city and gaps in available data.
\nPreliminary findings documented 60 missing individuals from tribal (Bedouin)
\ncommunities and 30 members of the Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n
The committee confirmed it had compiled a list of suspects that includes
\nmembers of the Ministries of Defense and Interior, Druze groups, and civilians
\nfrom Bedouin and tribal communities, with evidence linking them to intentional
\nkillings, armed robbery, torture, and incitement of sectarian strife under
\nSyrian law.<\/p>\n
On the humanitarian front, the committee recorded large-scale
\ndisplacement, including 27,404 displaced individuals from tribal communities
\nand 34,845 displaced Druze and Christians. They were distributed across
\nshelters in Daraa, Sayyida Zainab, Zakia, Jaramana, and villages in the Mount
\nHermon area.<\/p>\n
The report also pointed to the involvement of \u201cexternal parties\u201d in
\narson and looting, and documented cases of negligence by some security
\npersonnel in preventing tribal reinforcements from reaching the area. It stated
\nthat army and internal security forces initially attempted to block tribal
\nfighters from entering Suwayda but failed due to their large numbers, as well
\nas the withdrawal of some personnel after witnessing the scale of reciprocal
\nabuses.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt least 36 villages in Suwayda\u2019s countryside were subjected to
\nsystematic burning and vandalism, including religious sites,\u201d the report indicated,
\nadding that factions from neighboring areas and outside the province carried
\nout attacks in rural areas for looting and retaliation, leading to mass
\ndisplacement among Druze residents. Additionally, Suwayda city and its
\nsurroundings witnessed retaliatory attacks by Druze armed groups targeting
\nBedouin communities, involving arson, looting, and destruction, which resulted
\nin the forced displacement of most Bedouin families.<\/p>\n
The committee confirmed that authorities have begun preliminary legal
\nmeasures, including detaining several suspects and referring them to the
\njudiciary.<\/p>\n