Syrian government forces and allied militias have been accused of executing Druze civilians in Sweida province, following deadly clashes between Druze fighters, Bedouin tribes, and state security forces.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Syrian military had executed a total of 21 Druze civilians in and around Sweida.
The casualties are among the 203 individuals killed in the violence since Sunday, which includes 93 members of the security forces, 18 Bedouin and 71 other Druze, according to the war monitor.
A video uploaded by an open source social media platform on Tuesday shows gunfire between Syrian soldiers and Druze militants in Sweida. Another video shows members of the Syrian military forcing Druze men to shave off their moustaches. These videos have not been independently verified.
Heavy fighting between the Druze and Syrian Government in As-Suwayda. These Druze militants are engaging a Syrian Government element that took refuge in an apartment building. pic.twitter.com/ZVT3pqnVCd
— FUNKER530 (@FunkerActual) July 15, 2025
Syrian security forces continue to humiliate Druze men by forcibly shaving off their moustaches. pic.twitter.com/DDkskf3wXh
— Wladimir van Wilgenburg (@vvanwilgenburg) July 15, 2025
Meanwhile, Israel airstrikes near Sweida continued on Tuesday, targeting “regime forces and weaponry” intended to be used against the Druze community.
תיעוד מתקיפות צה”ל בסוריה מוקדם יותר היום pic.twitter.com/WsSEe4LzrZ
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) July 15, 2025
The Israeli government confirmed the strikes. “We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarization of the area adjacent to our border with Syria,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement.
The Syrian government, led by transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa, denounced the Israeli strikes, calling them “treacherous aggression” and a violation of its sovereignty and international law.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry said Israel is trying to destabilize the country at a time when it’s seeking to “consolidate security and emerge from the aftermath of war.”
