Clashes, Grave Violations Continue Against Civilians in Sweida

by al Hawar News Agency (ANHA), July 16, 2025

Fighting reignited in Sweida city, southern Syria, on Tuesday, just hours after a ceasefire was announced. Eyewitnesses reported that local armed factions launched a counterattack inside the city, regaining strategic positions around the National Hospital, the central market, and Tishreen Square, as well as in other neighborhoods.

According to sources, the calm that followed the truce agreement was short-lived, as clashes erupted again due to grave violations committed by Transitional Government forces. These included killings, field executions, house demolitions, and looting of shops. The sources confirmed that some local groups that had previously remained neutral rejoined the fighting after disturbing video footage circulated, showing horrifying abuses against civilians.

Among the most notable violations was the killing of Dr. Faten Hilal while trying to reach the National Hospital, and the execution of 15 people inside the Al-Radwan guesthouse. Another video documented a security officer insulting an elderly sheikh. These scenes sparked widespread outrage and reignited the conflict, expanding the scope of confrontations.

Sources reported that the violations began when government forces stormed the village of Al-Dour, west of Sweida, destroying homes, looting property, and setting fire to several houses, a repeat of the same tactics used in nearby villages. There were also reports of summary executions of unarmed civilians in several towns.

A political activist from the province said an agreement had previously been reached between Sweida elders and the Transitional Government. It stipulated the withdrawal of military forces from the city in exchange for the entry of security personnel under specific conditions. However, government forces breached the agreement and stormed the Omaran Roundabout, committing widespread violations, which led to the collapse of the agreement and the resumption of fighting.

The same activist noted that the Transitional Government forces destroyed a statue of freedom fighter Hussein Murshid, a symbol of the Great Syrian Revolt of 1925, under the pretext of “idol-breaking.” This provoked widespread resentment, especially after images of Sultan Pasha al-Atrash were reportedly defaced.

Meanwhile, the city has been in total darkness for four consecutive days due to a power outage, along with water cuts and disrupted communication lines.

In a related context, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that, as of Tuesday evening, the death toll had exceeded 200 people, including 71 from Sweida (among them women and children), 111 from the Transitional Government forces, and 21 civilians executed in the field.

The area has witnessed the arrival of new military reinforcements from the Ministry of Defense to the city’s outskirts, while military convoys were observed moving from Hama and Homs toward Damascus, amid reports of government forces besieged inside Sweida.

According to the Observatory, residents reported the presence of foreign fighters among the attackers, believed to be Uyghurs, Uzbeks, and other non-Syrian nationalities, echoing similar scenes witnessed in rural Damascus and coastal regions in recent months.

There were also reports of violations targeting places of worship, including St. Michael’s Church in the village of Al-Surah Al-Kabirah, amid accusations that the Transitional Government forces publicly humiliated the city’s residents on sectarian grounds.

 

In a related development, Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes targeting Transitional Government positions on the Shaqrawiya–Thaala road in Sweida’s countryside and at the 52nd Brigade base in the Harak area of Daraa countryside, resulting in casualties among government forces.

Security sources told the Observatory that the Israeli strikes extended to the vicinity of the police headquarters in Sweida.

As of late Tuesday night into Wednesday, Sweida city continued to witness clashes on its western outskirts, with rocket shelling by government forces targeting parts of the city.