UN Report Demands Syria Investigate Abuses During Deadly Clashes with Druze

A United Nations inquiry published on Friday, March 27, found that there is no indication Syria has investigated violations its forces committed during sectarian clashes last summer in Sweida province, in which at least 1,700 people were killed – the vast majority from the Druze religious minority. The 85-page report urged Syria’s government to investigate the leadership of its security forces that allowed or organized sectarian attacks against the Druze community.

The violence erupted in mid-July when armed groups affiliated with Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri clashed with local Bedouin clans, prompting an intervention by government forces who effectively sided with the Bedouins. An estimated 200,000 people were displaced from Sweida, with nearly 200 women and children among the dead. Tribal fighters targeted almost every home in 35 mixed or Druze-majority villages, and nearly all Druze religious sites were looted, burned, or vandalized.

The clashes prompted a response from Israel, which launched airstrikes on southern Syria and Damascus to force the withdrawal of forces that attacked Druze civilians. Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has vowed to investigate and hold perpetrators accountable, but armed tribal fighters appeared unwilling or unable to be confronted by the authorities, marking a significant setback for al-Sharaa’s efforts to assert control and appeal to Syria’s minorities.

(TOI/VFI News)

"Heavenly Father, we lift up the Druze and all minority communities in Syria who have suffered terrible violence and displacement. We pray in Yeshua’s Name for justice, healing, and protection for the families grieving the loss of loved ones. We ask that You hold accountable all who committed these atrocities and bring true reconciliation to this war-torn land. May Your hand of mercy rest upon the displaced and the vulnerable."