Thu 17 July 2025:
Syrian state media reports that Druze anti-government militias have committed “massacres” against Bedouins in Sweida’s al-Maqous neighborhood, including killings of women and children and field executions, following the withdrawal of government forces on Thursday.
The retreat came after days of violent clashes involving Druze, Bedouins, and forces loyal to President Ahmad al-Sharaa, intensified by Israeli air strikes. Unverified social media images allegedly show several bodies on the ground. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights noted over 500 deaths by the time of the government’s withdrawal.
The activist group counted 79 Druze fighters and 154 civilians from Sweida among the dead, including 83 people “who were summarily executed by members of the defence and interior ministries”.
It said 243 government personnel were also killed as well as 18 Bedouin fighters, in addition to three members of Bedouin tribes “who were summarily executed by Druze fighters”.
The Druze in Sweida, Syria, largely avoided involvement in the country’s 14-year civil war and protested poor living conditions during Bashar al-Assad’s final years in power. After his overthrow in December, many Druze remain skeptical of the new government under Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda affiliate leader.
NOW: Mass forced displacement of innocent Bedouin civilians by Israeli agent Hijri’s terrorist militias in Suwayda. pic.twitter.com/eRGTOPflVz
— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 17, 2025
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Fifteen government personnel were also killed in air strikes launched by Israel, which claims it seeks to protect the Druze.
Displaced Bedouin tribes from Suwayda say Israeli agent Hijri militias are committing brutal atrocities — beheadings, rapes, burning mosques and homes.
Women and children driven into the open fields with nothing.
“We appeal to King Abdullah, and we appeal to the entire Islamic… pic.twitter.com/HBjzDTK0lh
— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 17, 2025
Despite Sharaa’s efforts to distance himself from his past and mend ties, several Sweida groups oppose his administration. Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, a Druze spiritual leader critical of the government, is accused of leading armed anti-government factions.
Meanwhile, Israel has conducted airstrikes in Syria, including powerful attacks on Damascus targeting military sites and the presidential palace’s vicinity, citing defense of the Druze. The Israeli army is preparing for extended conflict in Syria, redeploying forces from Gaza to secure its northern border.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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