Death Toll in Suwayda Clashes Rises to 426, Including Women, Children, and Medical Personnel

Kokcha News Agency: The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), which documents human rights violations in Syria, has announced that the death toll in the clashes in Suwayda between July 13 and 20 has risen to 426. Among the victims are 7 children, 10 women, 6 medical personnel, and 2 media workers.

Earlier, SNHR had reported that at least 321 people, including 6 children and 9 women, were killed in the clashes between July 13 and 18, with more than 436 people injured. The fighting, which involved an alliance of Bedouin Arab tribes and tribal forces against Druze groups, has since been halted through mediation efforts by the Syrian government and other countries.

Background on the Suwayda Clashes
The clashes in Suwayda began on July 13 between Bedouin Arab tribes and Druze groups. Syrian security forces, which intervened to quell the violence, were ambushed, leading to further escalation. The conflict was temporarily halted by a ceasefire, but Druze forces led by Hikmat Hijri violated the truce, reigniting the violence.

On July 16, the Israeli military targeted the Syrian Presidential Palace, the General Staff Headquarters, and the Ministry of Defense. As the Syrian army withdrew from Suwayda, the Hijri group began forcibly displacing Bedouin families and carrying out executions. Thousands of tribal fighters from outside the region arrived to support the Bedouin Arabs.

On July 19, the Syrian government redeployed security forces to Suwayda and managed to secure the withdrawal of Bedouin and tribal fighters from the city. Since July 13, hundreds of people, both combatants and civilians, have been killed, and the death toll is expected to rise.