Syria's defence ministry aware of reports of 'shocking violations' in Sweida

The National

4 days ago

The Syrian defence ministry said it was aware of reports of "shocking violations" carried out by fighters wearing military fatigues in the Druze heartland of Sweida, and said it was launch a probe into the week of deadly clashes.
Sectarian clashes increased last week between the Druze and Bedouin tribes. Fighting escalated when government forces were sent to the city. More than 300 people were killed in the fighting that also drew in Israeli strikes.
Israel claims to be supporting the Druze, who form a significant minority in Israel but are often subjected to army conscription. Syria and Israel agreed to a ceasefire on Friday.
War monitors and witnesses accused forces affiliated to the government of carrying out executions in the city. Syria's Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said in a statement on Tuesday there would be "no tolerance" for perpetrators of human rights violations in Sweida, even if they were committed by ministry forces.
A committee has been tasked to investigate the reports and to try to identify those who were wearing military uniforms and carrying out atrocities.
Separately, the Syrian interior ministry said it had launched an investigation into reports of field executions committed by "unknown people" in Sweida.
"Such acts constitute serious crimes," ministry spokesperson Nour Al Din Al Baba said, stressing that the ministry was also working on identifying those involved.
Last week's violence in Sweida is just the latest episode of sectarian fighting that the new authorities in Damascus have been linked to.
A Syrian fact-finding committee said separately on Tuesday that 1,426 people had died in March in attacks on security forces and subsequent mass killings of Alawites, but concluded that commanders had not given orders for the revenge attacks.
US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said he had advised Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara to recalibrate his policies and embrace a more inclusive approach in the wake of the latest sectarian flare-up, or risk losing international support.
In an interview with Reuters in Beirut, Mr Barrack said the Syrian leader could "grow up as a president and say, 'the right thing for me to do is not to follow my theme, which isn't working so well.'"
Mr Shara, leader of a former Al Qaeda offshoot, came to power in Syria after guerilla fighters he led brought down President Bashar al-Assad in December last year after more than 13 years of civil war.
While many of his fighters have roots in extremism, he has vowed to protect members of minorities. But that pledge has been challenged by mass killings of members of the Alawite sect - which Assad belonged to - and now by the latest violence involving the Druze.
Mr Barrack however pushed back on reports that Syrian security forces were responsible for the violations.
"The Syrian troops haven't gone into the city. These atrocities that are happening are not happening by the Syrian regime troops. They're not even in the city because they agreed with Israel that they would not go in," he said.
Th US State Department confirmed the death of a US citizen last week in Sweida, adding that it was providing consular assistance to the family.