Druze faction announces over 50 casualties in clashes in Syria’s Suwayda
SUWAYDA, Syria (North Press) – A Druze armed faction announced on Tuesday that more than 50 of its members were killed or wounded in the ongoing clashes with forces of the Syrian transitional government in Suwayda, southern Syria.
In a statement released late Tuesday, the Men of Dignity movement said that dozens of fighters and civilians from various towns and villages across Jabal al-Arab have also been killed or injured amid intense fighting since the entry of government forces.
Heavy clashes continued for a second consecutive day on Wednesday in the city of Suwayda, following the deployment of forces from the Ministries of Defense and Interior. Government forces used heavy weapons and rocket within densely populated residential neighborhoods.
The Men of Dignity movement strongly condemned what it described as a “brutal assault” by Syrian government forces on Suwayda and its surrounding villages.
“The Syrian government has violated all pledges and guarantees that were previously agreed upon with the spiritual and social leadership—headed by the Spiritual Leadership of the Druze Community and the Mashyakhat al-Aql,” the statement read. These agreements permitted government forces to enter official state facilities under the condition that civilian homes would be left untouched and residents’ safety and dignity respected.
However, the statement pointed out that these assurances were disregarded, citing “raids on civilian homes in Suwayda and nearby villages, widespread use of excessive force, field executions, and violations that resulted in martyrs, injuries, and missing persons—including women, children, and the elderly—alongside widespread panic and displacement.”
The movement warned that such actions “threaten civil peace across Syria” and erode any remaining trust in the central authorities. It stressed that “the response from the people of Suwayda has been purely in self-defense, a stance rooted in the protection of rights and dignity, and in rejection of oppression or intimidation.”