Post-Assad Syria: Sectarian Violence and Execution-Style Killings Plague Suwayda Region

Videos and witness accounts verified by The NY Times reveal disturbing execution-style killings in post-Assad Syria.

New Delhi:

The fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime ten months ago sparked hope among Syrians for an end to decades of dictatorship and sectarian violence. However, the recent atrocities in Suwayda reveal a troubling reality. The new government under Ahmed al-Shara is failing to control armed factions or protect vulnerable communities across the country.

Disturbing footage shows armed men forcibly removing civilians from their homes, verbally abusing them as "pigs, dogs, and heretics" before executing them. According to The New York Times, government soldiers have executed hospital volunteers, militants have led civilians to firing squads, and religious leaders have been held at gunpoint and attacked.

This descent into chaos represents precisely what many feared would happen after Assad's removal from power.

Al-Shara, who previously fought as a jihadist, had pledged to safeguard Syria's religious minorities and control extremist elements within his coalition. He publicly distanced himself from his former Al Qaeda connections and successfully gained support from the United States, European nations, and Gulf countries, which provided financial assistance and sanctions relief.

Even when his forces killed hundreds of civilians from Assad's Alawite sect in March, many Syrians dismissed it as an isolated revenge attack. However, the violence in Suwayda has fundamentally changed this perception.

The conflict began as a dispute between rival militias. When government troops arrived, rather than restoring order, they joined in attacking civilians. Independent monitors report approximately 2,000 combatants and civilians, predominantly from the Druze minority, have been killed.

In response, Druze leaders are now advocating for Suwayda's secession. Local militias have blocked government officials and military forces from entering much of the province. Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria have similarly resisted integration into the new government, with both regions boycotting the recent parliamentary elections.

The NY Times has verified videos and witness accounts documenting execution-style killings.

One recording shows fighters forcing three members of a Druze family off a balcony, followed by gunmen shouting "God is great!" Another video captures the execution of 60-year-old Munir al-Rajma on school steps. When fighters ask if he is Druze, he responds, "Yes, brother, I am Druze." They immediately shoot him, with one shouting, "This is the fate of every dog like you, you pigs."

While nearly all victims were Druze civilians, some did take up arms in self-defense. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that Druze fighters killed at least three civilians and paraded the bodies of government soldiers through the streets.

Syria's diverse population of Sunnis, Shiites, Christians, Druze, and Alawites has historically fueled sectarian tensions. The Assad regime had positioned itself as a protector of minority groups.

Following Assad's downfall, Ahmed al-Shara has struggled to maintain control over various armed factions. Sunni extremist groups have intensified attacks targeting minorities. In March, approximately 1,400 Alawites were killed. Two months later, over 100 Druze were killed near Damascus. The situation in Suwayda erupted in July after clashes between Druze and Bedouin communities, escalating dramatically as government troops were deployed. Israel conducted strikes against Syrian forces allegedly to protect the Druze population, while Sunni fighters from eastern Syria joined the conflict.