Latest news with #massacres
France 24
2 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Exclusive: On the ground in Sweida, a Syrian city torn by Druze-Bedouin clashes
In the Syrian southwestern city of Sweida, violent clashes have erupted between Druze factions and Bedouin groups. More than 1,000 have been killed, according to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights and a further 145,000 have been displaced, said the International Organisation for Migration. Eyewitnesses have accused Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa's government troops of complicity or direct involvement in the massacres. Two weeks after the fighting began, FRANCE 24's journalists were the first to enter the previously sealed-off city centre, where the atrocities were the most violent. Humanitarian organisations have not yet been able to access this part of the city. The atrocities in Sweida are reminiscent of the coastal massacres that occurred in March, as Syria struggles to recover from 13 years of war.
Wall Street Journal
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
The Fallout From Syria's Massacres
Syria is set to release an internal report Tuesday concerning responsibility for the March massacres of some 1,500 Alawites by regime forces and militias. Its findings arrive with impeccable timing—right after new massacres by regime-aligned forces have wound down in Sweida in southern Syria. This time they targeted the Druze minority. Syria's ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa can tell his investigative committee to get back to work, but hard questions remain about the former al Qaeda commander's regime. Why, after Syrian regulars withdrew from Sweida on Thursday morning for a cease-fire—after executing dozens of Druze in the field—were large forces of irregulars from Bedouin tribes then allowed to attack the non-Muslim minority? Hundreds have died since July 13, and videos circulated of atrocities on both sides, including one of three Druze men forced to jump off a building. Trump envoy Ric Grenell shared a report of a Druze American from Oklahoma executed with his Syrian family. For crucial days Damascus declined to block the few roads carrying Sunni tribal forces pledging revenge against the Druze to the fighting in Sweida. 'We are grateful to the tribes for their heroic actions,' Mr. Sharaa said on Saturday. He asked merely that they let the state handle security. When will the tribes be disarmed, as he demands of the Druze and Kurds?
Arab News
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Rubio demands Syrian government forces intervene to prevent jihadist attacks
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday called on the Syrian government's security forces to prevent jihadists from entering and "carrying out massacres" in the conflict-stricken south of the country. "If authorities in Damascus want to preserve any chance of achieving a unified, inclusive and peaceful Syria... they must help end this calamity by using their security forces to prevent Daesh and any other violent terrorists from entering the area and carrying out massacres," Rubio said in a statement posted to X.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'To live without fear': Israeli Druze leader shares vision for Syrian community
Druze leader warns of massacres under Syria's new regime, urges Israel to take the threat seriously amid growing violence in Sweida . Members of the Druze community have faced humiliation and massacres at the hands of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's regime, Attorney Raad Shanan, Director-General of the Druze Community Council, said in an interview with 103FM on Wednesday. 'Our vision is for the Druze to be an integral part of the new Syrian state, where they will receive their rights as citizens in their own country, without fear of being harmed by the regime,' he said. 'The Druze in Syria live in several regions, but their main stronghold is in the south, a highly strategic area. The Druze there are Syrian citizens; they were among those who essentially established the state of Syria about a hundred years ago, and are an inseparable part of the Syrian people,' he added. 'But they are loyal, patriotic Druze. Since the fall of the Assad regime, the Druze have sought to be part of the new order, to live as Druze according to their faith, to receive their rights as citizens, whether through representation in parliament or in government. Under Assad's rule, they were part of the system. Syria is a diverse country, multi-ethnic, with many sects and religions.' The new regime, which is Sunni, is currently working to impose order in Syria, or essentially, to conquer the country. 'Think about it: a country seeking to conquer a region it is supposed to govern, to conquer and subjugate the Druze unconditionally. They don't want to grant them rights, they want them to hand over their weapons, while radical groups are still armed,' Shanan explained. The groups have openly stated their desire to subdue the Druze, meaning disarming them, controlling them, and managing their lives, a reality the Druze won't accept. Various terror organizations composed of former ISIS members have entered Druze villages under the regime's protection, just as Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader al-Julani did to the Alawites on the Syrian coast a few months ago. The violence should be an early warning for Israel 'This, in my opinion, is a red warning light for Israel,' Shanan claimed. 'According to reports, Israel and the United States issued Julani a warning as part of recent developments, even Arab states like Qatar and Saudi Arabia, within the framework of their security coordination with Israel, stressed the need to find a solution with the Druze. Julani told them 'yes,' and then two days later acted differently.' The day after Israel marked a line that served as a limit for Syria's heavy weaponry, Julani brought tanks into the area. 'If two days after promising, he already goes back on his word, how can we trust such a person to secure the Israeli border on the Golan side?' Shanan argued. 'The Western-style appearance and suit he wore apparently dazzled some world leaders. But the scenes there are horrifying. They evoke dark periods in history.' Regarding the Druze from Israel who crossed into Syria in protest, he maintained that it was 'unacceptable.' 'People who want to protest and raise their voices, that's their right. But it must be within the bounds of the law, certainly not by breaching a border and trying to enter another country. They did this out of pain, from a sense of helplessness, and it came from the depths of their hearts. The leaders of the community explicitly called yesterday not to do such things.' Solve the daily Crossword
France 24
16-07-2025
- France 24
Syrians terrified as violence grips Druze-majority city of Sweida
"A lot of my friends were killed, including a doctor who was going to hospital," said Osama, 32, by telephone on Wednesday, adding he was in the centre of the southern city. "There were summary executions in the streets," he told AFP crying, declining to provide his surname. "If they reach here, I'm dead," he said, adding: "I fear massacres similar to those on the coast." In early March, hundreds of civilians mostly from Syria's Alawite minority were massacred in the community's coastal heartland after attacks on the security forces. Security personnel, allied armed groups and foreign jihadists were accused of committing the atrocities. Paramedic Munzer, 43, said he was stuck at home in Sweida unable to respond to calls for help. "Entire families have been decimated. I know a family of four who were killed in their home," he said. "The bombardment didn't stop all night," said Munzer, also declining to provide his surname. "We have nothing left to eat in the fridge, just some dry biscuits, and some fruit and vegetables that have gone bad because the power has been cut off for 48 hours," he said. "I have four children but I don't know how to protect them." 'Catastrophic situation' But the hardest thing, according to Munzer, is being unable to do his job as a paramedic. He said he had received more than 50 calls for help and was worried about the "catastrophic situation" in the city's main hospital where he usually works. An AFP correspondent in the city saw men wearing defence ministry uniforms, some with their faces covered, launching mortars and crying out "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest, in Arabic) near the bodies of two Druze fighters, as other combatants went house to house carrying out searches. Another AFP correspondent saw on Wednesday some 30 bodies on the ground, including government forces and fighters in civilian clothes whose affiliation was not immediately clear. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, more than 300 people have been killed since fighting erupted on Sunday between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes, sparking government intervention, and Israeli strikes in support of the Druze. Most of the dead are fighters but they also include 40 civilians, 27 of them summarily executed by security force personnel, according to the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria. The Syrian presidency on Wednesday condemned "heinous acts" and vowed to punish those responsible. A committee tasked to investigate the coastal massacres in March was supposed to issue its findings earlier this month but no report has been announced.
