On July 13, heavy fighting broke out in the southern Syrian province of Suweida as a result of attacks by Salafi mercenaries against the Druze population, leading to a major humanitarian crisis. The attacks are being carried out by a coalition of groups including ISIS, HTS, Al-Qaeda, SNA, and other jihadist organizations. The orders for these attacks are being issued directly by Jolani, who is known for his past ties to ISIS and is currently being promoted as the “President of the Interim Syrian State.”
Tribal militiamen from other regions also poured into the province to take part in the attacks against the minority. The Druze are considered heretics and infidels by radical Sunni Islamists.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, nearly a thousand people were killed in the violence in Suweida. Thirty-two of the dead were Druze fighters, 262 were Druze civilians, including dozens who were executed by government-backed jihadists, SOHR said yesterday. According to the Observatory, the dead also include over 300 members of the self-proclaimed transitional government and 21 Bedouins.
Contrary to a ceasefire announced by Damascus for the region, attacks by tribal militias and jihadists from various groups under the umbrella of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – the Islamist coalition of self-proclaimed Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa – continue in rural areas.
The ceasefire declared in Suweida was violated by armed groups affiliated with the Damascus regime. This morning, the villages of Rim El-Hezem and Til Shihan were targeted by howitzer fire. Local sources reported that the attacks were mainly directed from the city of Dera, with groups coming from the villages of Wealxa and Erîqa beginning looting and pillaging.
Locals compared the events to the clashes in Latakia and Tartus, commenting that “a massacre similar to the one on the coast is being repeated in Suweida.” “Everything in the region is seen as spoils and is being taken away,” they said.
A source providing information from the city stated: “A large number of new people have been settled in the Salxad region. These groups are advancing towards villages in the east. We want to move to areas far from the city center because the attacks are coming from Dera. We are committed to the ceasefire, but the other side’s attacks continue unabated. The Damascus regime is attacking the Druze people under the guise of tribes. Terrorist groups first enter as fighters, then present themselves as peace advocates. This is a tactic.”
Some citizens who fled Suweida due to the attacks have begun returning to areas where the clashes have partially subsided. However, they face the same problems: insecurity, lack of services, and shortages of basic necessities.
As a result of the violence in Suweida, the civilian infrastructure has almost completely collapsed: electricity, water, and internet have been out for days, the central hospital is unusable, and there is a shortage of medicine and medical personnel. Residents report dramatic conditions. “There is only one bakery left in the city that is still functioning – thousands of people are standing in long lines just to get bread,” explained a local contact from Suweida. The supply situation is catastrophic, with many people unable to obtain even the most basic necessities. The injured and sick are often left without treatment and do not survive the attacks.
Source: ANF News
