Druze residents describe 'massacre' in Syrian metropolis

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Over the past 5 days, Rima says she has witnessed "barbaric" scenes.

The 45-year-old Druze girl has lived within the southern Syrian metropolis of Suweida her complete life, and by no means thought her once-peaceful hometown would turn into the scene of a massacre.

"There have been our bodies all over the place exterior our constructing," she instructed the BBC in a cellphone interview, utilizing a pseudonym out of concern for her security.

Rima mentioned she huddled inside her residence, bracing for the unimaginable, as gunmen - authorities forces and international fighters - moved via her neighbourhood earlier this week, going door-to-door on the lookout for their subsequent sufferer.

"One of many worst emotions ever is to maintain ready for individuals to come back into your own home and resolve whether or not we must always stay or die," she recalled, her voice nonetheless trembling with concern.

The violence has left Rima and her neighbours feeling deserted and afraid in their very own properties, as bullets and shells sounded off exterior.

Lengthy-running tensions between Druze and Bedouin tribes in Suweida erupted into lethal sectarian clashes on Sunday, following the kidnapping of a Druze service provider on the freeway to the capital, Damascus.

Because the combating unfold to different elements of the southern province, the federal government of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa - who led the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime by Islamist-led rebels in December - introduced that it will deploy the inside and defence ministry's forces to "restore stability".

For the reason that fall of Assad, some native Druze leaders have rejected the presence of the safety forces in Suweida metropolis. When authorities forces have been deployed on Tuesday, the combating escalated.

Quickly, the federal government's forces have been being accused of attacking each Druze fighters and civilians, which prompted the Israeli navy to intervene with a sequence of air strikes that it mentioned have been meant to guard the Druze.

As Rima watched this play out, the shortage of web and energy made it troublesome to maintain up with the unfolding occasions. All she knew for positive was what she might see from her window: slaughtered our bodies and burned buildings.

Syrian state media have additionally cited authorities and Bedouin tribes as saying that "outlaw teams" carried out "massacres" and different crimes towards Bedouin fighters and civilians.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, has mentioned it has documented the killing of at least 594 people since Sunday , together with 154 Druze civilians, of whom 83 have been summarily killed by authorities forces, and three members of Bedouin tribes who have been summarily killed by Druze fighters.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/cd7c/live/b04c9fb0-633a-11f0-af20-030418be2ca5.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/cd7c/live/b04c9fb0-633a-11f0-af20-030418be2ca5.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/cd7c/live/b04c9fb0-633a-11f0-af20-030418be2ca5.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/cd7c/live/b04c9fb0-633a-11f0-af20-030418be2ca5.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/cd7c/live/b04c9fb0-633a-11f0-af20-030418be2ca5.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/cd7c/live/b04c9fb0-633a-11f0-af20-030418be2ca5.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/cd7c/live/b04c9fb0-633a-11f0-af20-030418be2ca5.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/cd7c/live/b04c9fb0-633a-11f0-af20-030418be2ca5.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Reuters Syrian security forces patrol the southern city of Suweida. Photo: 17 July 2025" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Reuters Syria's interim president mentioned authorities forces had expelled "outlaw teams" in Suweida

Nayef, a Druze man whose identify we've got additionally modified, was additionally confronted with horrific scenes in Suweida.

"We're gathering our bodies from the streets. We discovered our bodies left exterior homes, subsequent to homes for 2 or three days," he instructed the BBC in a cellphone interview.

Regardless of being a authorities worker, Nayef lashed out in disbelief at what he noticed as the federal government forces' brutality inside the town.

"They stormed neighbourhoods, choosing the homes that look rich. They looted these homes after which torched them. They sprayed unarmed civilians with bullets."

Movies circulating on social media appeared to help Nayef's allegations.

Footage shared on Fb on Wednesday afternoon exhibits not less than half-a-dozen males wearing camouflage firing stay rounds at a bunch of residents, who're kneeling on the sidewalk.

The UN human rights workplace mentioned it had documented the killing of not less than 13 individuals on Tuesday by armed males affiliated with the federal government who intentionally opened hearth at a household gathering. On the identical day, they reportedly summarily executed six males close to their properties.

Whereas bullets and shells rained down, Suweida residents have been left questioning when assist was coming.

But it surely by no means got here.

Rima mentioned she watched as safety forces and international fighters entered her neighbourhood and later shot her neighbour in entrance of his mom.

"Is that this the military and safety forces who have been supposed to come back and shield us?" she requested. "Folks's livelihoods have been stolen. Those that have been killed have been younger and unarmed."

Different testimony we heard backed up Rima's declare. These we spoke to mentioned many of the fighters who entered Suweida and attacked civilians gave the impression to be Islamists.

One girl heard the fighters shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is best) in her constructing, calling the Druze "infidels" and "pigs", and saying they have been there to kill them.

A few of these fighters posted movies of themselves on-line humiliating males in Suweida, together with reducing or shaving off the moustaches of Druze sheikhs. The moustaches are a logo of Druze spiritual identification.

The BBC has approached the Syrian authorities for official feedback on the problem however not up to now obtained a response.

In a televised tackle early on Thursday, Sharaa vowed to carry the perpetrators accountable and promised to make defending the Druze a "precedence".

"We're keen to carry accountable those that transgressed and abused our Druze individuals as a result of they're beneath the safety and accountability of the state," he mentioned.

He went on responsible "outlaw teams", saying their leaders "rejected dialogue for a lot of months".

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/0017/live/5b4556a0-6336-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/0017/live/5b4556a0-6336-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0017/live/5b4556a0-6336-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/0017/live/5b4556a0-6336-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/0017/live/5b4556a0-6336-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/0017/live/5b4556a0-6336-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/0017/live/5b4556a0-6336-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0017/live/5b4556a0-6336-11f0-89ea-4d6f9851f623.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Reuters Bedouin women with children walk along a dirt path in southern Syria. One is holding the hand of a toddler, and another carries a baby in her arms" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Reuters Bedouin households have been displaced by the combating in Suweida

For a lot of, the promise of safety felt like déjà vu.

It resembled the message the president delivered when authorities forces and allied Islamist fighters carried out lethal reprisals towards civilians from one other spiritual minority, the Alawites, in response to assaults by Assad loyalists within the coastal area in March.

A committee was established to research these violations - however is but to ship any findings.

The accounts from Nayef and others bore many similarities to what occurred on the coast in March.

"There is a whole lack of belief with the federal government," Nayef mentioned. "They're simply doing a lip-service. They are saying good issues about freedoms, documenting violations and accountability, however they're all lies."

Many Suweida residents say this newest episode of sectarian violence could have long-lasting results.

"If it was not for Israel's bombardment, we would not be capable of discuss to you as we speak," one girl instructed the BBC.

Nevertheless, some have been additionally important of Israel's airstrikes and its declare that it was appearing to guard the Druze.

Nayef mentioned: "No person needs Israel. We're patriotic individuals. We have been on the forefront of individuals to undertake patriotism. Our loyalty and patriotism shouldn't be doubted."

Extra reporting by Samantha Granville in Beirut

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