Syria: Sweida death toll reaches 1,531 amid renewed ceasefire breaches

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
Today 16:55
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At least 14 more civilians were killed in Sweida amid ceasefire violations, executions, and renewed clashes.

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Bedouin fighters deploy at Mazraa village on the outskirts of Sweida city, during clashes between the Bedouin clans and Druze militias, southern Syria, Friday, July 18, 2025 (AP)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented the killing of 14 additional civilians in Sweida province, following violent incidents in various parts of the region’s countryside. The clashes constituted fresh violations of the existing ceasefire.

The observatory stated that among the victims, 12 individuals were summarily executed by members of government forces or affiliated militias. It warned that the death toll could rise as investigations into other cases are still ongoing.

As a result, the total number of people killed in Sweida since July 13 has risen to 1,531. The deaths have been attributed to fighting between Druze armed groups and Bedouin tribal forces supported by the transitional government, in addition to field executions and Israeli airstrikes, according to the observatory’s figures.

The watchdog also reported ceasefire violations in the western countryside, where heavy machine gun fire from government positions targeted the town of Ara, triggering renewed clashes before “de-escalation guarantors” intervened to contain the situation.

Wider context

Further escalation was reported in the town of Rassas, where pro-government forces linked to the General Security Directorate opened fire, in what the observatory described as “a serious development that nearly caused the total collapse of the truce.”

In a separate development, telecommunications and internet services were cut off in Sweida province due to a fault in the fiber-optic cable, coinciding with a power outage. No official body has provided an explanation for the disruption, the observatory noted.

Meanwhile, the Bosra al-Sham humanitarian crossing, connecting eastern rural Daraa with Sweida, was reopened on Sunday morning after being shut for 24 hours due to security tensions and a ceasefire violation.