Suweida council urges int'l protection, safe zone amid Syria tensions

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
2 May 2025 19:01

The Military Council's appeal follows the deadly sectarian clashes that targeted the Druze community in southern Syria.

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Syria's security forces stand on their vehicle, after reaching a deal with Druze gunmen to deploy around Jaramana, a Damascus suburb that saw fighting earlier this week, in Damascus, Syria, early Friday, May 2, 2025 (AP)

The Military Council in Suweida, southern Syria, has officially declared its full endorsement of the statement issued by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, a spiritual leader of the Druze Muslim community, calling for immediate international protection and the establishment of a safe zone under the supervision of neutral international forces to halt the bloodshed in the province.

The call comes after sectarian clashes between Syrian security forces, fighters aligned with them, and local Druze fighters killed 17 people in Jaramana on Monday night and 22 people in Sahnaya on Tuesday night, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) monitor.

On Wednesday, 15 Druze fighters were killed in an ambush near Damascus, according to SOHR and local outlet Suweyda 24.

UN urged to investigate, intervene

In an official statement, the council called on the United Nations Security Council to impose a safe zone in Suweida and surrounding areas, to be overseen by neutral international forces in order to stop the ongoing violence.

It also urged the United Nations to dispatch urgent investigative teams to document the crimes committed in the region and to hold the perpetrators accountable through international legal channels.

Condemnation of HTS, foreign backers

The Military Council warned countries supporting Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham against "continuing to fund terrorist groups that are carrying out sectarian cleansing in violation of international conventions."

The council affirmed its readiness to strengthen security coordination with any serious international party to protect civilians, stressing that it "will not, under any circumstances, allow the so-called General Security Forces to enter Jabal al-Arab," in order to preserve civil peace.

The statement added that the council would respond with maximum force to any future attacks, in accordance with the principles of international humanitarian law, emphasizing that “terrorist groups are working to dismantle the unity of the region by spreading takfiri ideology and imposing their dominance through force, with a particular focus on targeting the Druze identity.”

'Druze blood not cheaper than others’

The council also pointed out that “the world’s silence regarding the crimes committed in Sahnaya, and the attacks in Suweida and Jaramana, rewards terrorism and encourages the recurrence of these crimes.”

It stressed that “Druze blood is not cheaper than others’" and that "protecting civilians is a humanitarian duty before it is a political one.”

Furthermore, the council stated that it has documented systematic war crimes against Druze civilians in the city of Sahnaya, including the indiscriminate killing of unarmed innocents under sectarian pretexts, arbitrary arrests, and the humiliation of Druze religious leaders, symbols, and sacred sites.

Druze in Syria call for international protection amid rising violence

The spiritual leader of the Druze in Syria, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, has earlier issued an urgent appeal for international protection following a series of deadly attacks in Suweida and rural Damascus, accusing government-backed militias of perpetrating massacres against his community.

In a public address on Thursday, Sheikh al-Hijri declared, “Requesting international protection is a legitimate right of the people when they are being annihilated by massacres.” He called on international organizations to act immediately to prevent further bloodshed, warning that continued silence would only enable further atrocities.

The appeal follows two days of violence in the Suweida countryside, where armed clashes and killings have left numerous people dead. Al-Hijri said the incidents reflect a broader campaign of targeted violence against the Druze in Syria, comparing them to past massacres on the Syrian coast.

'No trust in the government'

Al-Hijri condemned the Syrian government, stating that it no longer holds the trust of its people. “We no longer trust an entity that claims to be a government, a government does not slaughter its people through its own extremist militias,” he stressed.

He went on to denounce what he described as a state-sponsored campaign of sectarian violence. “They are mere instruments of death, bloodshed, kidnapping, and the distortion of truth through sectarian and takfiri thinking,” he added.

The Druze leader emphasized that his community has never operated as a militia and does not engage in violence, describing the recent killings as part of an "unjustified genocide campaign."

Sectarian killings escalate in Suweida countryside

Al-Hijri's comments come amid growing concern over sectarian violence in Syria, particularly in the Suweida region, where the Druze community has historically maintained a degree of autonomy and neutrality.

According to local reports, heavily armed groups linked to Syrian government militias have attacked unarmed civilians in what al-Hijri described as coordinated massacres. He accused the attackers of acting under a takfiri ideology that targets not only minorities but also moderate Sunni Muslims.