Sweida, southwest Syria – Nineteen civilians, including a woman, were killed on Tuesday in a series of summary executions carried out in three separate incidents in Sweida, a predominantly Druze province in southern Syria.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that security forces from the Syrian Interior and Defense Ministries stormed a community guesthouse belonging to Al-Radwan family in Sweida city, executing 12 people on the spot.
According to the Observatory, a joint military force also raided another guesthouse in the village of Thaala, southwest of the city, killing four civilians, including one woman.
In a third incident, an armed unit affiliated with Syria’s Internal Security Forces shot dead three brothers near Al-Basha Roundabout, north of Sweida city, while their mother witnessed the execution.
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The Observatory said the latest violence has pushed the death toll in Sweida and surrounding areas to at least 135 over the past 48 hours. The casualties include 84 local residents, among them two children and two women, as well as 52 government security personnel and members of armed Bedouin groups involved in the clashes.
The Observatory added that Sweida province has witnessed kidnappings of civilians from the region, without knowing their fate, amid a state of anxiety and tension among residents.
Local media outlets and activists have also reported incidents of looting and property damage during recent military operations in the province. Sweida24, a local news network, said that army units and allied security forces entered the city’s main commercial areas, ransacked shops, and set several businesses on fire.
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Some groups have urged residents to file complaints with the Internal Security Forces, describing the abuses as “isolated individual violations.” However, rights monitors say the pattern suggests broader impunity for security forces.
In an official statement, Syria’s Interior Ministry warned its personnel against any “violations or attacks on public or private property in Sweida under any pretext.” The ministry said it would take “strict actions” against any officer found to have committed abuses during operations, “without leniency or exception.”
The government claims the military deployment is meant to restore order and protect civilians, insisting the operation has been coordinated with local community leaders to curb lawlessness caused by armed groups operating outside state control.
Since the start of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad in 2011, Sweida has remained relatively calm compared to other provinces devastated by the conflict. However, growing discontent over poor governance, corruption, and security vacuums has triggered periodic protests and armed clashes in the area.
