DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Syria’s National Committee for Investigating the Suwayda Events announced Sunday that the relevant authorities have arrested numerous personnel from the country's defense and interior ministries after it was determined they committed “violations” in the Druze-majority province during unrest in July.

The announcement came during a press conference held at the Ministry of Information in Damascus, where the committee presented its findings and facts related to the deadly events that swept Suwayda. The committee addressed violations, hate speech, and displacement that accompanied the unrest, according to Syrian state media.

The province saw clashes between the Druze and Damascus-backed Bedouin tribes this summer that resulted in 1,600 deaths, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), with the World Health Organization (WHO) in November reporting that the clashes forced nearly 187,000 people to flee their homes and left around 820,000 exposed to heightened health risks.

Committee chairman Judge Hatem al-Naasan said the committee had not been subjected to pressure or instructions from any state entity during its work. He added that both the defense and interior ministries showed extensive cooperation with the investigation.

Naasan said that Syrian Defense Minister Merhaf Abu Qasra had ordered the arrest of anyone who entered the city of Suwayda without military authorization.

Request to extend the committee’s mandate

The chairman said the committee continues its investigation to uncover the truth and prevent a repeat of the events. He noted that it had not been able to enter Suwayda city or other areas, which prompted it to request a two-month extension of its mandate.

Naasan said the committee’s work complements that of the International Investigation Commission, with which it held a meeting. He said the international committee praised the methodology used by the Suwayda investigation team. “Allowing the international committee to enter confirms that the Syrian state is serious about accountability,” he added.

Naasan stressed that the committee worked with precision and impartiality, without bias toward any party. It is investigating all alleged violations comprehensively and has visited several areas as part of its work, including Jaramana and Sahnaya in the Damascus countryside, in addition to inspection visits to attack sites.

He said the committee collected evidence and preserved it to ensure its integrity before submitting it to the judiciary. The committee also met with residents who were not directly affected in order to document their accounts. It heard testimonies from military personnel who helped secure Suwayda during the events, as well as forensic doctors who examined the bodies of those killed.

No foreign fighters involved, committee says

Naasan said the committee relied on a specialized technical team to verify videos circulated on social media. Several individuals who stirred controversy online were detained.

He said there was no evidence of foreign fighters participating in any actions in Suwayda, and all testimonies from the province’s residents denied their presence.

Naasan said the province witnessed tragic events that harmed lives and public and private property, including forced displacement and the hate speech that preceded and followed the unrest. He described these as grave violations that cannot be addressed through superficial or political measures, but require an effective investigation that meets legal standards.

He said the committee adopted a detailed methodology consistent with UN standards for investigation commissions and with international law, adding that the mandate also includes determining individual responsibility, direct or indirect, ensuring no one escapes accountability, prosecuting anyone proven responsible, and issuing legal recommendations to prevent similar events and violations elsewhere in Syria.

Syria has fallen into sectarian conflict on several occasions since Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels overthrew the Bashar al-Assad regime in December, leading Ahmed al-Sharaa to seize the presidency, with the new authorities in Damascus having been repeatedly criticized for failing to protect minorities.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanded an end to "the rape and slaughter of innocent people" in Syria in a post on X in July. 

"[The Syrian government] must hold accountable and bring to justice anyone guilty of atrocities, including those in their own ranks," the top US diplomat added.