 Syrian Security forces enter the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on July 15, 2025, and embark to bring the city under Damascus rule even it meant executing hundreds of civilians in front of cameras - Photo Credit: SAM HARIRI/AFP via Getty Images |
This month, that campaign intensified dramatically. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR), more than 1,000 people have been killed in recent clashes including 336 Druze fighters and 298 civilians—194 of whom were "executed by gunmen affiliated with the Ministries of Defence and Interior."
Following a brutal military onslaught at the Druze-majority Syrian city of Sweida, a renewed ceasefire was announced by the government and some Druze leaders on Wednesday, July 16, after several Israeli air strikes targeting the Syrian army headquarters in Damascus vowing to protect the Druze population. The ceasefire was not respected by the Arab clans that joined forces with government troops in their attempt to occupy Sweida.
Pro-government Syrian Arab clans have joined the government in their fight against the Druze minority. Thousands of Arab clan militants joined their allies in attacking the Druze claiming that the Arab clans are in duress. The Supreme Council of Arab Tribes in Syria declared a call to arms on July 18th to occupy Sweida and defeat the Druze.
Several non-Syrian mercenaries fighting on the side of the Syrian government have been arrested or caught on camera such as this video posted to Facebook on July 18.
On Friday July 18th, Al Arabiya News cameras documented the pro-government Arab clans controlling the village of "Little Soura" near Sweida.
The Syrian Presidency accused the Druze of breaking ceasefires and attacking Arab clans in statement on July 18 that completely ignored the attacks and the ethnic cleansing against Druze.
"The spread of armed groups outside the law, which have used weapons as a means to impose a fait accompli and have directly endangered the lives of civilians—including children, women, and the elderly." mentioned the statement without mentioning the Arab tribes and government troops committing atrocities documented on video by the very assailants.
This is not the first time Al Golani's government has attacked and targeted a specific ethnic group. It has done that extensively against the Christians and Alawites Muslims since last December when Al Golani seized power following the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Al Assad regime.
While the Druze beliefs adhere to some tenets of Islam, it is considered by some to be an offshoot of the Ismailism branch of Shia Islam and hence it is a monotheistic religions. It emerged in 10th century Egypt during the Fatimid Caliphate. It developed in the Levant region and most of them live in Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan. There are about 1.2 million Druze adherents and the majority live in Syria with about 800,000. They prefer to call themselves the Muwahhidun or the those who believe in One God and hence it is a monotheistic religion.
The Druze enjoyed a period of protected religious freedom under former President Bashar Al Assad but that all changed following his ouster last December fall of Assad regime.
Ethnic Cleansing Videos By Sunni Arab Clans Against Druze
Videos by new Syrian Government soldiers and affiliated militants manifest the extent of brutality and barbarism that the Druze minority is facing now. The ongoing onslaught has been escalating for months. Last May 1st, an ambush by terrorists claimed the lives of 15 Druze citizens as the casualties included burned bodies. The ambush was executed by Government security forces.
Hospitals in Sweida are stacked with an unbelievable number of casualties and corpses on the floors as seen on video posted on July 17.
The Syrian government affiliated security forces played Jihadist songs on their way to storm the city of Sweida and its Druze majority population. The genocidal alliance of Jihadists and militants were unabashed to record everything on video as in the aforementioned video posted on Jun 30
Syrian Druze citizens beaten to near death by Syrian government militias in video shot by the assailants and posted to Telegram on July 15.
Syrian Druze corpses resulting from the hideous operations were loaded on trucks and shipped to unknown locations. The militants shooting the video, that was posted to Telegram on July 14,are heard calling the dead "Pigs and Dogs."
Some Druze bodies were left on the ground with murderers shouting those belong to Hijri (Druze Cleric)
The campaign included looting Druze businesses and shops in the city amidst shouts of "Allahu Akbar" by the terrorist militias in a video posted to Telegram on July 14.
"In the name of God Allahu Akhbar, these are the Druze pigs' shops. Thank God they are no war spoils. Thank God everyone is gone and, in a few hours, inshallah we will be in the house of Al Hijri the Pig," said one pro-Government terrorist in a video posted to Telegram on July 14.
Syrian government militias were creative in their mass murdering techniques. One of them is throwing them out of the balconies or from rooftops and shooting at them while jumping in a horrendous method for death. The government militias had no qualms videotaping these crimes as usual as per posted video from July 19.
In some cases, Syrian Government militias open fire on unarmed victims killing them on the spot after shouting Pigs and Allahu Akbar.
Some families were slaughtered by Al Golani forces Syrian Army forces inside their cars and their bodies were left to rot. Video posted on Facebook July 19.
The massacre video documented on Tuesday claimed the lives of 9 Druze civilians in Radwan guest house in Sweida. Video posted on Telegram July 15.
Syrian security forces opened fire on civilian buildings indiscriminately in a video posted July 17.
Even toddlers were not spared from the barbaric onslaught of Al Golani forces as. Can be seen in this video posted to Telegram on July 17.
Pleas For Saving The Druze Population From Syrian Government Troops
Prominent Druze cleric Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri remains the archrival of Ahmed Al Sharaa, Al Hijri has been calling upon Druze to hold their ground against the onslaught of the Syrian government forces.
The spiritual leadership of Druze issued a plea for saving the lives of Druze citizens on its Facebook page on Thursday July 17 , it said :
"O our people... O free people of As-Suwayda...With broken hearts, unquenchable tears, and feelings beyond expression, we mourn for the free world and for all of humanity:
Our sons... our brothers... our righteous martyrs, who ascended as victims of a bloody tragedy, perpetrated by a criminal terrorist organization that has nothing to do with humanity. In a cowardly attack targeting defenseless civilians from this pure land, killing innocents with a brutality only committed by those who have stripped their hearts of all mercy and their souls of every atom of humanity.........In these difficult moments, and after the cleansing of Sweida of the filth of terrorists, we declare that Sweida, a stricken region burdened with its wounds, declares a general mourning period in honor of the souls of our righteous martyrs"
"Let them the medical crews document the violations" mentioned the statement. The statement urged the Jordanian authorities to open the borders between Sweida and Jordan for fleeing victims and for humanitarian aid to pass" added the statement
"We also demand the opening of roads to our Kurdish brothers and sisters, and we appeal to His Majesty King Abdullah II in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to direct the opening of a border crossing between Sweida and Jordan, given the humanitarian importance of these roads at these critical times. We hope to take urgent steps to facilitate communication and alleviate the suffering of citizens.
"May God have mercy on our martyrs and grant them a place in His spacious gardens. May He comfort the hearts of their mothers, fathers, brothers, wives, and children. May He inspire us all with patience and steadfastness.
Suwayda is bleeding... yes, but it will not be defeated It will remain proud, steadfast, and hold its head high, thanks to the pride, faith, and unity of its people"
International Condemnations And The Way Forward
The United Nations listed terrorist since July 2013, Ahmed Al Sharaa aka Abu Mohammed Al Golani can be described as a rare winner for a political lottery as no Islamist terrorist have ever been so lucky to be recognized by world powers and even sit a tete a' tete with world leaders including the President of the United States who lifted the sanctions on Syrian upon his meeting following persuasions by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman.
Al Sharaa is now in a place of power contrary to his peers such as Osama Bin Laden, Ayman Al Zawahiri, Al Baghdadi who all met the ending they deserved. But instead, Al Golani is sitting in on his lofty perch in his presidential palace knowing he is safe from accountability of his former and current crimes thanks to rushing towards recognizing him as a leader of a nation that has been torn by war for 14 years and deserved a much better leadership than a mass murderer in a suit.
A number of countries such as France condemned the atrocities practiced against the Druze population but hardly any country involved in the region condemned the mass murdering of Druze and certainly not the Arab League.
Two weeks ago, the world commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica Massacre of Bosnia war this month, The massacre claimed the lives of over 10,0000 Bosnian Muslims by Bosnian Serbs in the worst massacre of this kind since WWII. It remains reminiscent of the ongoing massacres in Syria targeting Druze and previously Alawites and Christians is making Syria a new Yugoslavia.
Despite the claims of withdrawing from Sweida by government forces, the pro-government militias vow to fight and attempting to storm the city as the video of July 20 indicates. They are willing to fight till what the labeled Al Hijri the "Dog of Israel". A video posted on Facebook and Telegram channel Naya for Iraq July 20 made by the militants indicate they are willing to take the city by force again and commit further atrocities, mutilate bodies and call the Druze pigs with dirty blood such in in this video posted on Telegram Channel Naya for Iraq on July 20.
Giving Ahmed Al Sharaa a chance to prove himself as a civilized leader and not a terrorist was a severe case of political wishful thinking on behalf of the Arab and Western leaders alike. He only lived up to his notorious reputation in the past 7 months and thousands of innocent Syrian civilians have paid their lives for this uncalculated political gambit. It is time to put an end to this shameful experience before Sweida turns into a new Srebrenica Massacre.
IPT Senior Fellow Hany Ghoraba is an Egyptian writer, political and counter-terrorism analyst at Al Ahram Weekly and a regular contributor the BBC. He is the author of Egypt's Arab Spring: The Long and Winding Road to Democracy He is a writer and contributor for over a dozen international outlets, periodicals and networks including Newsmax, OANN, BBC Radio, CSP, MEF, American Spectator, American Thinker, Arab Weekly and Al Arabiya News.
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