Latest news with #Druze
Al Arabiya
27 minutes ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Syria vows to hold perpetrators of violence in Sweida accountable
The Syrian defense ministry said on Tuesday it was aware of reports of 'shocking violations' by people wearing military fatigues in the country's predominantly Druze city Sweida. Syria's Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said there will be 'no tolerance' to perpetrators in Sweida, even if they were a member of the defense ministry, according to a statement by the ministry.
The Hill
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Hill
US citizen killed in Syria, State Department says
The State Department on Tuesday confirmed an American citizen was shot and killed by Syrian government forces in viral graphic footage on social media. Hosam Saraya, a Syrian American citizen of Druze descent, was murdered alongside dozens of other men being held captive by local forces in Tishreen Square, located in the center of Sweida, Syria. 'We offer condolences to the family on their loss and are providing consular assistance to them,' the State Department said in a statement to ABC News. 'We are greatly concerned when any U.S. citizen is harmed overseas, wherever they are,' the department wrote. 'The United States calls for accountability in all cases where U.S. citizens are harmed abroad.' Officials told the outlet they were 'looking into accounts of the death of an individual reported to have been a U.S. citizen in Syria,' while family and friends of Saraya confirmed his identity to ABC. The State Department did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. Government leaders started feuding with the Druze people — the largest ethnic group in Sweida, but are considered a minority in the country — and Sunni factions within the country last week. Saraya recently returned home to care for his father after completing courses in Oklahoma, according to CNN Arabic. Oklahoma lawmakers also acknowledged his death through posts online. 'Cindy and I are heartbroken by the death of Hosam Saraya. Hosam was an Oklahoman and member of the Druze community who was tragically executed alongside other members of his family in Syria,' Sen. James Lankford (R) wrote in a Monday post on social platform X. 'We are praying for his family, friends, and the entire community as they grieve this senseless loss. May God bring peace and comfort in this time of sorrow,' he added. 'We've learned that an American citizen from Oklahoma was brutally executed alongside his family members in Syria,' Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R) wrote on X. 'I'm working with partners in the region to learn more, and we're in touch with @GovStitt on this devastating situation,' Mullin said. 'Our prayers are with the family at this time.'
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
US envoy urges Syria's Sharaa to revise policy or risk fragmentation
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and U.S. special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack speaks after meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, in Beirut, Lebanon July 21, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo BEIRUT - A U.S. envoy has urged Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to recalibrate his policies and embrace a more inclusive approach after a new round of sectarian bloodshed last week, or risk losing international support and fragmenting the country. U.S. envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack said he had advised Sharaa in private discussions to revisit elements of the pre-war army structure, scale back Islamist indoctrination and seek regional security assistance. In an interview in Beirut, Barrack told Reuters that without swift change, Sharaa risks losing the momentum that once propelled him to power. Sharaa should say: "I'm going to adapt quickly, because if I don't adapt quickly, I'm going to lose the energy of the universe that was behind me," Barrack said. He said Sharaa 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.'" Sharaa, 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. Though his own fighters have roots in Sunni Muslim militancy, Sharaa has promised to protect members of Syria's many sectarian minorities. But that pledge has been challenged, first by mass killings of members of Assad's Alawite sect in March, and now by the latest violence in the southwest. Hundreds of people have been reported killed in clashes in the southern province of Sweida between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes and Sharaa's own forces. Israel intervened with airstrikes to prevent what it said was mass killing of Druze by government forces. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Two found dead after fire in Toa Payoh flat Singapore Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 can claim $600 SG60 vouchers from July 22 Singapore Singaporeans continue to hold world's most powerful passport in latest ranking Singapore Singapore, Vietnam agree to step up defence ties, dialogue between leaders Asia Malaysia govt's reform pledge tested as DAP chief bows over unresolved 2009 death of political aide Tech Singapore to increase pool of early adopters in AI to complement data scientists, engineers Singapore Prosecution says judge who acquitted duo of bribing ex-LTA official had copied defence arguments Singapore Ports and planes: The 2 Singapore firms helping to keep the world moving Barrack said the new government should consider being "more inclusive quicker" when it comes to integrating minorities into the ruling structure. But he also pushed back against reports that Syrian security forces were responsible for violations against Druze civilians. He suggested that Islamic State group militants may have been disguised in government uniforms and that social media videos are easily doctored and therefore unreliable. "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. 'NO SUCCESSOR' TO SHARAA The U.S. helped broker a ceasefire last week that brought an end to the fighting, which erupted between Bedouin tribal fighters and Druze factions on July 13. Barrack said the stakes in Syria are dangerously high, with no succession plan or viable alternative to the country's new Islamist government. "With this Syrian regime, there is no plan B. If this Syrian regime fails, somebody is trying to instigate it to fail," Barrack said. "For what purpose? There's no successor." Asked if Syria could follow the dire scenarios of Libya and Afghanistan, he said: "Yes, or even worse." The U.S. has said it did not support Israel's airstrikes on Syria. Barrack said the strikes had added to the "confusion" in Syria. Israel says Syria's new rulers are dangerous militants, and has vowed to keep government troops out of the southwest and protect Syria's Druze minority in the area, encouraged by calls from Israel's own Druze community. Barrack said his message to Israel is to have dialogue to alleviate their concerns about Syria's new Sunni leaders and that the U.S. could play the role of an "honest intermediary" to help resolve any concerns. He said Sharaa had signaled from the beginning of his rule that Israel was not his enemy and that he could normalise ties in due time. He said the United States was not dictating what the political format of Syria should be, other than stability, unity, fairness and inclusion. "If they end up with a federalist government, that's their determination. And the answer to the question is, everybody may now need to adapt." REUTERS
The Hill
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Hill
More than 1,400 killed in sectarian violence in coastal Syria in March, report finds
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — More than 1,400 people were killed in several days of sectarian violence on Syria 's coast earlier this year, a government investigating committee said Tuesday. The violence followed the ouster of longtime President Bashar Assad in December. The inquiry said there was no evidence that Syria's new military leaders ordered attacks on the Alawite community there, to which Assad belonged. Nearly 300 people suspected of committing crimes, including murder, robbery, torture and looting and burning of homes and businesses, were identified during the four-month investigation and referred for prosecution, and 37 people have been arrested, officials said, without disclosing how many suspects were members of the security forces. The committee's report came as Syria reels from a new round of sectarian violence in the south, which threatens to upend the country's fragile recovery after nearly 14 years of civil war. 'Revenge, not ideology' The coastal violence began on March 6 when armed groups loyal to Assad attacked security forces of the new government, killing 238, the committee said. In response, security forces descended on the coast from other areas of the country, joined by thousands of armed civilians. In total, some 200,000 armed men mobilized, the committee said. As they entered neighborhoods and villages, some — including members of military factions — committed 'widespread, serious violations against civilians,' committee spokesperson Yasser al-Farhan said. In some cases, armed men asked civilians whether they belonged to the Alawite sect and 'committed violations based on this,' he said. The committee, however, found that the 'sectarian motives were mostly based on revenge, not ideology,' he said. Judge Jumaa al-Anzi, the committee's chair, said: 'We have no evidence that the (military) leaders gave orders to commit violations.' He also said investigators had not received reports of girls or women being kidnapped. Some rights groups, including a United Nations commission, have documented cases of Alawite women being kidnapped in the months since the violence. There also have been scattered reports of Alawites being killed, robbed and extorted since then. Tens of thousands of members of the minority sect have fled to neighboring Lebanon. Hundreds killed Echoes of the coastal violence resonated in the new clashes in southern Sweida province over the past two weeks. Those clashes broke out between Sunni Muslim Bedouin clans and armed groups of the Druze religious minority, and government security forces who intervened to restore order ended up siding with the Bedouins. Members of the security forces allegedly killed Druze civilians and looted and burned homes. Druze armed groups launched revenge attacks on Bedouin communities. Hundreds have been killed, and the U.N. says more than 130,000 people have been displaced. The violence has largely stopped as a ceasefire takes told. The committee chair said the violence in Sweida is 'painful for all Syrians' but 'beyond the jurisdiction' of his committee. 'Time will reveal what happened and who is responsible for it,' he said. Grim scenes in Sweida The head of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, Mohammed Hazem Baqleh, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the situation in the city of Sweida was grim, particularly in the main hospital, where some 300 bodies piled up during the clashes. The city had been almost entirely cut off from supplies during the two-week fighting. A Red Crescent team worked with the hospital's forensics to document the dead and prepare them for burial, he said. Baqleh said that with electricity and water largely cut off during the fighting, 'there is a significant shortage of materials and a shortage of human resources' in the hospital. 'The markets, in general, were closed and services have almost completely stopped' during the fighting, he said. The Red Crescent brought in one aid convoy on Sunday, the first to enter the city since the violence started, and is preparing to send another on Wednesday carrying some 66 tons of flour, along with other foodstuffs, fuel and medical items, Baqleh said. The group was registering names of civilians who want to leave the city to give them safe passage out, he said. During the fighting, Red Crescent teams came under attack. One of their vehicles was shot at, and a warehouse burned down after being hit by shelling, he said. Convoy of families evacuated Evacuation of Bedouin families from Druze-majority areas has already begun. Syrian state media on Sunday said the government had coordinated with officials in Sweida to bring buses to evacuate some 1,500 Bedouins. Many of them are now staying in crowded shelters in neighboring Daraa province. Security forces were manning checkpoints on the roads leading into Sweida city Tuesday and prevented groups of Bedouin fighters from approaching the city, AP photographers at the scene said. Late in the evening, state-run news agency SANA reported that a convoy of families was evacuated from Sweida, escorted by Syrian Red Crescent and Syrian Civil Defense teams. Some worried that the displacement for those who leave will become permanent, a familiar scenario from the days of Syria's civil war. Human Rights Watch said in a statement Tuesday that 'while officials have said the relocation is temporary, concerns remain that these families may be unable to safely return without clear guarantees.' Sweida's provincial governor, Mustafa al-Bakour, reiterated promises that the displacement will not be long term. 'There can be no permanent displacement in Syria,' he told The Associated Press. 'Nobody will accept to leave the house his lives in and was raised in, except as a temporary solution until things calm down.' Human Rights Watch said that all parties in the conflict had reportedly committed 'serious abuses' and that the violence had also 'ignited sectarian hate speech and the risk of reprisals against Druze communities across the country.'
News24
an hour ago
- Politics
- News24
South Syria violence deepens fears among minorities
More than 1 200 people have been killed in Syria's Druze-majority Sweida amid intercommunal clashes, exposing sectarian tension and government weaknesses. Damascus aligned with Sunni tribes against the Druze, prompting Israeli airstrikes and a US-brokered ceasefire amid escalated violence. Minority fears rise as Druze resist disarmament, echoing broader struggles for government control and Kurdish autonomy negotiations. A surge of violence in southern Syria has exacerbated fears among minority communities and exposed what analysts say is the Damascus authorities' intent to rein in the Druze population. More than 1 200 people were killed in a week-long outbreak of intercommunal clashes in Sweida province, a Druze-majority region, further casting doubt on the new Islamist government's capacity to manage sectarian tensions. The week-long clashes in the Druze-majority Sweida province further raised doubts about the new government's ability to handle intercommunal issues in the diverse and war-scarred nation. Damascus has "opened the Pandora's box of intercommunal violence", Syria expert Fabrice Balanche said. What next for Sweida's Druze? The clashes initially involved Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin tribes, but government forces intervened on the side of the latter, according to witnesses, experts and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor. READ | Syria's Sharaa vows to protect Druze as truce strained by Bedouin offensive Jamal Mansur, a comparative politics researcher specialising in Syrian and Israeli studies at the University of Toronto, said he believed interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa made "a huge mistake" by "trying to subdue the Druze" and in using the tribes, who are part of his popular base, to do so. Balanche, a lecturer at the University of Lyon 2, said it was "easy to mobilise tribes against the Druze, but then how do you get them to fall in line?" Israel, which says it wants to protect the Druze and has demanded a demilitarised southern Syria, struck the presidential palace and the Syrian army headquarters in Damascus to force government troops to withdraw from Sweida. The United States then announced a ceasefire between Syria and Israel, which allowed government forces to deploy to Sweida province but not the city, which remained under the control of various Druze groups. READ | Bodies wait to be identified at overwhelmed hospital in Syria's Sweida Those groups are now surrounded by areas controlled by government forces and their tribal allies across the province, where sporadic clashes are still taking place. Damascus was previously negotiating the integration of Druze fighters into its ranks, but the clashes, during which large-scale abuses were committed, could prompt the Druze to refuse to hand over their weapons. Sharaa "has two options: either he obstinately continues trying to subdue the Druze", or he backtracks, said Mansur. What happened during previous violence? The bloodshed in the south followed sectarian massacres in March in coastal Syria, in which 1 700 people, mostly Alawite civilians, were killed according to the Observatory. Overthrown Syrian president Bashar al-Assad is an Alawite, and the sect was long associated with the brutal rule of Assad and his father. Security forces, allied armed groups, and foreign jihadists were implicated in March's killings. A national commission of inquiry formed by the authorities on Tuesday said it had verified serious violations leading to the deaths of 1 426 people, mostly civilians, and identified 298 suspects. Sweida was "a repeat of the same scenario: the desire to subjugate minorities, but unlike on the coast, the Druze are well armed and protected by Israel," said Balanche. Christians, Syria's other significant minority group, also live in fear following several threats and the bombing of a Damascus church in June, which killed 25 people. Syrian authorities blamed the Islamic State group, but a shadowy jihadist organisation claimed responsibility. What about the Kurds? The greatest challenge facing Damascus in its attempt to assert its authority across all of Syrian territory remains the Kurds, who control swathes of the northeast. Kurdish officials have been negotiating with Syrian leaders to have their civil and military institutions, including the powerful US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, integrated into the Syrian state. Following the Sweida violence, senior Kurdish official Bedran Ciya Kurd called on Syria's authorities to review their approach to the country's minorities as a whole. The deadly clashes had "already impacted (Sharaa's) negotiating situation with the Kurds", said Mansur of the University of Toronto. Washington, the SDF's main backer, had previously pushed the Kurds to make concessions to the Syrian government. Now, the US "need (sic) to listen to the Kurds", said Mansur.
