Syrian Druze Families Devastated by Sweida Clashes

Homes Looted, Civilians Executed Amidst Brutal Fighting

Days of intense conflict in Syria’s Sweida province have left families shattered, with reports of widespread looting and the execution of civilians emerging after a fragile ceasefire took hold.

A Community in Terror

A Syrian Druze woman residing in the UAE recounted her desperate attempts to contact her family as fighting engulfed her hometown. Her relatives sent horrifying videos of neighbors fleeing and described relentless shelling that forced them into their basement. During a video call, she learned her father was missing. He had ventured out during a brief lull and never returned. Later, the devastating news arrived: he had been shot and killed by a sniper.

“Now I only pray. That’s all I can do,” she told reporters at the time, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisal against her surviving family.

The Grim Aftermath

A ceasefire, initiated late Wednesday, has brought a temporary reprieve to the southern province of Sweida. However, members of the Druze community, who had been displaced or hidden, are now returning to face the grim reality of looted homes and the discovery of slain civilians in the streets.

The initial violence erupted from tit-for-tat kidnappings and assaults between local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze militias. Syrian government forces, attempting to restore order, also engaged with Druze militias and, in some instances, targeted civilians.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, estimates that over 600 individuals, including combatants and civilians from both sides, perished during four days of clashes. More than 80 civilians, predominantly Druze, were reportedly rounded up by fighters and executed in what the observatory described as “field executions.”

“These are not individual acts but systemic. All the violations are there. You can see from the bodies that are all over the streets in Sweida clearly show they’re shot in the head.”

—Rami Abdul-Rahman, Director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

In a retaliatory wave since the ceasefire, Druze militias have reportedly targeted Bedouin families. Footage circulating on Syrian state media depicts Bedouin families evacuating their belongings, with reports of renewed skirmishes in affected areas, though casualty figures remain unconfirmed for these incidents.

A Community Divided and Traumatized

The Druze, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, constitute a significant portion of Syria’s population. Many celebrated the 2024 downfall of Syrian leader Bashar Assad but have found themselves divided over the subsequent rule of interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a Sunni Islamist. The recent violence has deepened skepticism within the community regarding the new leadership and the prospects for peaceful coexistence.

A Syrian-American Druze man, watching the events unfold from the U.S., expressed his deep anxiety as he tried to confirm the safety of his family and friends in Sweida. Despite communication disruptions, he located his family, though his mother and brother were forced to flee their home after it was shelled and looted.

He also came across disturbing online footage showing gunmen in military attire forcing several men in civilian clothing to kneel in a Sweida roundabout before opening fire. He recognized the victims as a close family friend and his relatives, who were reportedly taken from their residence by government forces and executed.

“We affirm that protecting your rights and freedoms is among our top priorities,” al-Sharaa stated in a televised address, vowing to hold those responsible for civilian deaths accountable.

However, rights organizations have accused Syria’s interim government of perpetrating systematic sectarian violence, drawing parallels to actions against the Alawite minority following Assad’s ouster. Images circulating on social media starkly illustrate the brutality, showing homes with bodies on the floor, bullet-riddled walls, and smashed portraits of Druze figures.

Personal Tragedies Emerge

In the Damascus suburb of Jaramana, **Evelyn Azzam** is desperately searching for her husband, **Robert Kiwan**. The 23-year-old left for his job in Sweida as usual last week but became caught in the escalating violence. Azzam was on a call with him when government forces questioned him and his colleagues. She heard a gunshot after a colleague raised his voice, followed by her husband attempting to reason with the soldiers.

“He was telling them that they are from the Druze of Sweida, but have nothing to do with the armed groups,” the 20-year-old Azzam recounted.

A second gunshot followed, hitting her husband in the hip. He was taken to a hospital for surgery, but she has received no further information about his condition.

The Syrian-American man, relieved his own family was safe, expressed profound “disbelief, betrayal, rage” at the video of his friend’s family being gunned down. He lamented that his community, which had hoped for a fresh start under al-Sharaa, now views the new Syrian army as radicalized militias. “I can’t imagine a world where I would be able to go back and integrate with these monsters,” he stated.

The United Nations reported in late 2023 that over 13 million people require humanitarian assistance in Syria, a stark reminder of the ongoing crisis in the region (OCHA, 2023).