Bloodbath' in Suweida: Druze Residents Describe Horror as Sectarian Violence Erupts

Residents of Suweida, a city in southern Syria, have described scenes of unimaginable horror as sectarian clashes between Druze and Bedouin tribes turned their once-peaceful hometown into a "bloodbath." Over the past five days, the violence has claimed at least 594 lives, including 154 Druze civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Rima, a 45-year-old Druze woman using a pseudonym for her safety, told the BBC she witnessed "barbaric" scenes. "There were bodies everywhere outside our building," she said in a phone interview, her voice trembling. She described hiding in her home as government forces and foreign fighters went door-to-door, deciding "whether we should live or die." The violence erupted on Sunday after the abduction of a Druze merchant on the highway to Damascus, escalating long-standing tensions between the Druze and Bedouin communities. The interim government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, deployed interior and defence ministry forces to restore stability, but their presence intensified the fighting. Local Druze leaders, who have rejected government security forces since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December, accused the forces of targeting both Druze fighters and civilians. Nayef, another Druze resident whose name has been changed, described collecting bodies left on the streets for days. "They stormed neighbourhoods, looted wealthy houses, torched them, and sprayed unarmed civilians with bullets," he said, accusing government forces of brutality. Social media footage appears to corroborate these claims, showing armed men in camouflage firing at residents kneeling on the sidewalk. The UN human rights office reported that at least 13 people were killed on Tuesday by government-affiliated armed men at a family gathering, with six others summarily executed near their homes. Residents also reported foreign fighters, some shouting "Allahu Akbar" and derogatory slurs against the Druze, humiliating locals, including shaving the moustaches of Druze sheikhs—a sacred symbol of their religious identity. The violence prompted Israeli airstrikes, which Israel said were to protect the Druze community. However, some residents, like Nayef, rejected Israel’s intervention, asserting their Syrian patriotism. "Nobody wants Israel. Our loyalty should not be doubted," he said. In a televised address on Thursday, President Sharaa vowed to hold perpetrators accountable and prioritised protecting the Druze, blaming "outlaw groups" for the violence. However, residents expressed deep distrust. "They say nice things about freedoms and accountability, but they are all lies," Nayef said, likening the situation to unpunished reprisals against Alawites earlier this year. The lack of internet and power has left Suweida residents struggling to follow events, relying on what they witness firsthand: burned buildings, slaughtered bodies, and a community gripped by fear. "Is this the army supposed to protect us?" Rima asked, recounting how her neighbour was shot in front of his mother. The UN has called for those responsible for the killings to be held accountable, while the Syrian government has not yet responded to the BBC’s request for comment. As Suweida reels from the violence, residents fear the scars of this sectarian conflict will linger for years.