Latest news with #Saraya
Straits Times
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
US has talked with Syria about death of US citizen, State Dept says
Find out what's new on ST website and app. United States Department of State logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department has called for an immediate investigation into the recent death of a U.S. citizen in Syria, and there have been direct discussions with the Syrian government about the issue, deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on Thursday. U.S. citizen Hosam Saraya died last week in the predominantly Druze region of Sweida, the State Department previously confirmed, amid ongoing sectarian clashes there. ABC News last week cited videos shared on social media that showed eight men kneeling in civilian clothes before being executed by gunfire by a group of soldiers. One of the victims was apparently Saraya. "What I can say is we have had direct discussions with the Syrian government on this issue, and have called for an immediate investigation into the matter," Pigott told reporters during a press briefing. "Hosam and his family deserve justice, and those responsible for this atrocity must be held accountable." Saraya's death comes at a complex time for the Syrian government, which rose to power after long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad was deposed last year. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is struggling to keep together a country beset by sectarian rifts, and he faces suspicion among some Western leaders due to his past membership in violent terrorist organizations. Israeli forces have pressed deep into the country's southwest. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Asia Singapore urges all parties in Thailand-Cambodia border dispute to exercise restraint Asia Deadly Thai-Cambodian dispute puts Asean's relevance on the line Life Hulk Hogan, who helped turn pro wrestling into a billion-dollar spectacle, dies at 71 Singapore Avoid water activities around Tuas Second Link, Raffles Marina after chemical tank accident: NEA Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore Mindef to set up new volunteer management unit to grow volunteer pool Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B The fighting in Sweida has pitted the Druze, who distrust the new government in Damascus, against Sunni Muslim Bedouin. In May, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would lift sanctions on Syria in a bid to integrate the new government into the international community. In late June, he officially signed an executive order terminating U.S. sanctions. REUTERS
Reuters
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
US has talked with Syria about death of US citizen, State Dept says
WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department has called for an immediate investigation into the recent death of a U.S. citizen in Syria, and there have been direct discussions with the Syrian government about the issue, deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on Thursday. U.S. citizen Hosam Saraya died last week in the predominantly Druze region of Sweida, the State Department previously confirmed, amid ongoing sectarian clashes there. ABC News last week cited videos shared on social media that showed eight men kneeling in civilian clothes before being executed by gunfire by a group of soldiers. One of the victims was apparently Saraya. "What I can say is we have had direct discussions with the Syrian government on this issue, and have called for an immediate investigation into the matter," Pigott told reporters during a press briefing. "Hosam and his family deserve justice, and those responsible for this atrocity must be held accountable." Saraya's death comes at a complex time for the Syrian government, which rose to power after long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad was deposed last year. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is struggling to keep together a country beset by sectarian rifts, and he faces suspicion among some Western leaders due to his past membership in violent terrorist organizations. Israeli forces have pressed deep into the country's southwest. The fighting in Sweida has pitted the Druze, who distrust the new government in Damascus, against Sunni Muslim Bedouin. In May, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would lift sanctions on Syria in a bid to integrate the new government into the international community. In late June, he officially signed an executive order terminating U.S. sanctions.
L'Orient-Le Jour
a day ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Sweida: Perpetrators document abuse of Druze civilians
The collective execution of the Saraya family was recorded in two phases by its a first video recorded by one of them, armed men wearing fatigues and shouting 'Allahu Akbar' threaten seven unarmed men walking in a single file. Some of the uniforms have insignia, but when contacted, the platform Verify Syria said it hadn't been able to confirm the identity of the fighters filmed the second scene. Recognizable by their clothing, the seven unarmed men are forced to kneel on the ground in Tishreen Square. They are then called 'dogs' by one of the armed men before being riddled with bullets at point-blank range. Stories on the ground Executions, homes set on fire, abandoned bodies: Testimonies from Sweida's displaced Bedouins Verify Syria denied the allegations that the fighters filmed are part of a...
Epoch Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Syrian American Man Among Members of Druze Community Killed in Sectarian Clashes in Syria
BEIRUT—A Syrian-American man of the Druze religious minority was killed in southern Syria when he got caught up in sectarian clashes there last week while visiting family members, relatives, and officials said Tuesday. The U.S. State Department confirmed the death of U.S citizen Hossam Soraya in the city of Sweida and extended its condolences to his family. His relatives and friends told The Associated Press that Saraya, in his mid-30s from Oklahoma, was killed in an attack on July 16.
L'Orient-Le Jour
3 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Syrian American Druze killed in Sweida
BEIRUT — A U.S. citizen was killed last week during sectarian clashes between pro-government Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze factions in Syria's Sweida province, the State Department confirmed Monday. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 1,260 people have been killed in these clashes, which began July 13 between Druze militiamen and Sunni Bedouin fighters in Sweida, backed by government forces deployed in the city by order of Damascus' authorities. The latest toll provided by the NGO Monday evening reports 505 Druze fighters and 298 Druze civilians killed, including 194 "summarily executed by members of the Defense and Interior Ministries." The toll also includes 408 members of government security forces and 35 Sunni Bedouins, including three civilians "summarily executed by Druze fighters." In addition, 15 government soldiers were killed in Israeli airstrikes, according to the Observatory. 'He was supposed to return to the USA at the end of the month' Among the civilian victims is the Syrian American, Houssam Saraya, a 35-year-old Druze. Contacted by the Washington-based media outlet al-Monitor, a State Department official confirmed Monday the death of an American citizen in Sweida, without identifying him. "We are deeply saddened by the death of Houssam Saraya, tragically executed along with other members of his family in Syria," Oklahoma Republican Senator James Lankford, where the victim had resided in the U.S., confirmed on X. "We pray for his family, friends and the entire Druze community mourning this senseless loss," he added. Photos of Houssam Saraya's American passport also circulated widely on social media, as did videos purportedly showing his execution in a public square in Sweida. In footage posted online on Wednesday, July 16 — the day after Syrian government forces entered the city — a man in his thirties is seen being forced to walk in a single line down a street with seven other people. They are under threat from armed men, some dressed in military fatigues. Moments later, the group is coldly executed by bursts of automatic gunfire in Techrine Square, downtown. The gunmen shout "Allahu akbar" as the executions take place. The military uniforms worn by some of the assailants appear to indicate they are members of government forces. A source close to the family confirmed the authenticity of these videos to L'Orient Today. The person said that several members of the Saraya family, including Houssam, were indeed killed in Techrine Square on July 16. Among the eight people lined up at the time of the execution, one survived, she said. Contacted by phone Tuesday by L'Orient Today, a relative of the victim, who requested anonymity, said Houssam Saraya received American citizenship five years ago after earning his master's degree at Oklahoma Christian University in 2016. He subsequently founded an online teaching platform aimed at Syrian students. This relative confirmed that other Saraya family members were also executed, including Houssam's brother, Karim, and father, Ghassan, the only one holding American nationality. Other victims were named Walid, Yehya, Ali and Ismail, all cousins of the Saraya family. "They (the assailants) stormed the house Wednesday morning and forcibly took all the men there. We found their bodies the next day and then buried them," the relative said. "Houssam returned to Sweida about a year ago to care for his sick father. He was supposed to return to the United States at the end of the month," she said. On Friday, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated there are "credible reports" that Syrian government forces, as well as Druze and local Bedouin fighters, committed "arbitrary executions, abductions and looting" during this latest wave of large-scale violence that has bereaved Syria since the fall of the Assad regime last December. 'Bring the perpetrators to justice' This third round of sectarian bloodshed, after the attack in March against the Alawite community on the Syrian coast, and then (again) the Druze community in late April on the outskirts of Damascus, has led to the forced displacement of more than 128,500 people since it began July 13. A fragile truce, supported by the United States, took effect July 17 after Damascus withdrew its forces from the southern province, where a precarious calm has since returned this weekend after security was officially handed over to local Druze factions by the Syrian government led by Ahmad al-Sharaa. On Saturday, the U.S. envoy for Lebanon and Syria, Tom Barrack, also announced a cease-fire between Syria and Israel, which had carried out airstrikes targeting Syrian security forces in Sweida as well as several government buildings in Damascus. For his part, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Damascus to "mobilize its forces to prevent violent jihadists from committing massacres" and to "bring those found guilty of atrocities to justice, including within [its] own ranks."
