Syria’s Suwayda detainee swap after July clashes
SUWAYDA, Syria (North Press) – Authorities in Suwayda Governorate announced on Thursday that a detainee exchange between the Syrian transitional government and the National Guard led to the release of 86 individuals, marking the first swap between the two sides since deadly unrest in July.
The Media Directorate in Suwayda said 61 members of the National Guard – a Druze armed group – were released, while the National Guard freed 25 personnel affiliated with the Syrian government.
The exchange comes months after Suwayda, a predominantly Druze governorate in southern Syria, descended into turmoil in mid-July when a local dispute escalated into widespread intercommunal violence.
Clashes broke out between local Druze militias and Sunni Bedouin tribal militants, and at times involved forces affiliated with the Syrian transitional government.
The violence left hundreds dead and triggered mass displacement across parts of the governorate. Reports from local sources and rights groups described incidents of looting, abductions and enforced disappearances during and after the fighting.
International human rights organizations have since documented alleged serious violations and called for an independent investigation into abuses committed during the unrest.
Thursday’s detainee exchange is seen as a potential confidence-building step between local factions and government-affiliated forces, though tensions remain in parts of the governorate amid ongoing demands for accountability and the clarification of the fate of missing persons.