Druze Leaders Plead 'Save al-Suwayda' as Death Toll Nears 250
Syria's Druze spiritual leaders plead for global intervention to "Save al-Suwayda" as clashes with government forces kill nearly 250 and create a dire humanitarian crisis with executions and a hospital siege, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The spiritual leadership of Syria’s Druze community has issued a desperate international appeal to “Save al-Suwayda” as fierce clashes, shelling, and summary executions have left nearly 250 people dead and plunged the southern province into a severe humanitarian crisis, according to reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
In a powerful statement, the Spiritual Leadership of the Druze Unitarian Muslims appealed directly to the “free world,” naming U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and King Abdullah II of Jordan.
“For our people are being exterminated, killed in cold blood,” the statement read. “The killer does not distinguish between young or old, between a woman or a child, between a doctor or an elder... They are destroying churches and houses of worship. These are massacres being committed in full view of the world.”
The leadership declared that the “mask has fallen from the face of this unjust, tyrannical ruling clique,” stating they could no longer coexist with a regime that governs with “iron and fire.” Their plea, they stressed, was “not political, but humanitarian and moral, before it is too late... Save a people who are being killed simply because they demanded life and dignity.”
This plea comes amid a grim reality on the ground, detailed extensively by SOHR. The war monitor reported that since the events began on Sunday, July 13, the death toll from clashes and executions has reached 248. SOHR provided the following breakdown:
- 156 members of the Ministry of Defense and General Security, including 18 Bedouins.
- 71 residents of al-Suwayda province, including four children and two women.
- 21 civilians, including three women, who were summarily executed by gunfire from members of the Ministries of Defense and Interior.
SOHR reported that forces affiliated with the Ministry of Defense have continued to intensely target al-Suwayda city and the village of Sahwat al-Blatah with artillery, mortars, and drones. The attacks have coincided with the cutoff of internet and electricity for residents.
The humanitarian situation has reached a critical point, particularly at the al-Suwayda National Hospital. According to SOHR, medical teams there have been working for over 72 hours without a break amid a shortage of staff and supplies and a complete power outage that threatens a “humanitarian catastrophe.”
Access to the hospital is extremely difficult and dangerous due to snipers positioned in the eastern part of the city, SOHR sources confirmed. The war monitor itself has appealed for the urgent opening of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to leave shelled areas.
Field reports from the Observatory indicate that clashes are concentrated in Tishrin Square, which is now reportedly under the control of Ministry of Defense forces. The monitor also documented seeing vehicles belonging to the Ministry of Defense loaded with “private civilian property” while leaving al-Suwayda.
Al-Suwayda is a predominantly Druze-majority province in southern Syria. Throughout the country's civil war, the province has largely sought to maintain neutrality, avoiding direct conflict with the central government in Damascus while also resisting the conscription of its youth into the Syrian army, as reported by international media like Reuters and the Associated Press. In the years leading up to this escalation, As-Suwayda has become a major center for anti-government protests, driven largely by the country’s collapsing economy and demands for political reforms.
