Monday, 25 May 2026
Women and children walk on land between Deraa and Sweida, after scores of people have been killed this week in violence in and around the predominantly Druze city of Sweida. REUTERS
UN rights chief demands justice over Sweida killings
GENEVA (News Wires) – The United Nations’ top human rights official on Friday called on Syria’s interim authorities to pursue accountability and deliver justice for the killings and human rights abuses in the southern city of Sweida.
Earlier this week, the Syrian government dispatched troops to Sweida, a city predominantly inhabited by Druze, in an effort to suppress ongoing clashes between Bedouin and Druze groups. Despite this, violence escalated until a ceasefire was reached, according to Reuters.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported receiving reliable accounts of extensive violations amid the unrest. These include summary executions, abductions, and the destruction of private property, reportedly perpetrated by security forces, individuals associated with Syria’s interim authorities, as well as various armed groups such as the Druze and Bedouins.
“This bloodshed and violence must end. The protection of all civilians must be the highest priority, consistent with international human rights law,” stated OHCHR High Commissioner Volker Turk.
The OHCHR highlighted one incident on July 15, where at least 13 individuals were unlawfully killed when affiliates of the interim authorities opened fire during a family gathering. On the same day, six men were summarily executed near their homes.
“My Office has heard firsthand from Syrians who are terrified for their own safety and for the lives of their loved ones,” Turk added.
Meanwhile, Israel conducted airstrikes on Damascus Wednesday and targeted government forces in the south, urging their withdrawal and asserting the actions were taken to defend Syrian Druze—a notable minority community with followers in Lebanon and Israel.
Expressing concern, Turk referenced reports of civilian casualties resulting from Israeli airstrikes on Sweida, Daraa in the southwest, and central Damascus.
On Friday, a spokesperson for Syria’s interior ministry stated, via the state news agency, that government forces had no plans to deploy to Sweida Province.
Noureddin al-Baba refuted a Reuters report quoting an interior ministry officer, clarifying that security forces were not preparing renewed deployment to Druze-majority Sweida to suppress fighting between Bedouin tribes and Druze—a community with significant presence in Lebanon and Israel.
On Thursday, Syrian troops withdrew from Sweida’s Druze heartland, following an order from the Islamist-led government after days of fierce clashes claimed nearly 600 lives, according to a war monitoring group.
Since Sunday, the southern province has been rocked by lethal sectarian violence, with reports of hundreds dead in battles between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes, army units, and allied factions.
AFP correspondents reported that Sweida appeared deserted on Thursday, with looted shops, burned homes, and bodies visible in the streets.
“What I saw made the city look as if it had just survived a major disaster,” said Hanadi Obeid, a 39-year-old physician, to AFP.
In a televised address, Syria’s interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa announced that local community leaders would resume security control in Sweida “based on the supreme national interest,” after government troop deployments on Tuesday exacerbated communal violence and led to Israeli military intervention.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 594 people have lost their lives in Sweida province since Sunday’s outbreak of fighting.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that “nearly 2,000 families have been displaced” by the violence across the province.
During the military’s brief presence in Sweida, Israel launched airstrikes targeting government forces and sites in and around Damascus, including the military headquarters, warning that its attacks would increase until the government withdrew.
According to the Observatory, three people were killed in Damascus during these Israeli strikes.