ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Syria’s foreign ministry on Friday welcomed a UN report on July's deadly violence in the Druze-majority province of Suwayda, saying authorities are committed to holding all those responsible for violations accountable.

With a Druze-majority population, Syria's southernmost province was embroiled in a flash of sectarian violence in the summer of 2025, pitting local militias from the religious minority against the new Syrian state under the leadership of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The UN on Friday published a report on the matter, warning that war crimes were possible committed and asserting that  more than 1,700 people were killed and nearly 200,000 displaced .

“The Syrian government affirms that it is dealing with the utmost seriousness and responsibility regarding the report's findings on the grave violations suffered by civilians in Suwayda province. It reiterates the government's firm commitment to holding all those involved in these violations accountable without exception,” the statement read.

The ministry said Damascus had acted early, forming a national investigative committee in August 2025 to examine the violence, and later inviting the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry to conduct its own investigation.

It added that authorities cooperated with the UN team, including facilitating access to Suwayda and meetings with relevant parties.

"Having reviewed the report, the Syrian government notes its presentation of the structural factors that contributed to the worsening situation, including the repercussions of previous years of conflict and violations during the Assad era, the proliferation of weapons, the rise in drug trafficking activities, and societal tensions manifested in tit-for-tat kidnappings," read the Syrian statement.

It added that Israeli strikes further complicated the situation and hindered efforts to de-escalate.

The ministry welcomed what it described as positive references in the UN report to its cooperation, saying coordination with international investigators was aimed at uncovering the truth and ensuring accountability.

More than 1,100 Druze civilians, along with dozens of Bedouin civilians and at least 225 government personnel, were killed during the Suwayda violence, with around 155,000 people remaining displaced, according to the UN investigation.

The report found the violence unfolded in three phases involving Syrian government forces, Druze armed groups, and tribal fighters.

It said initial attacks by government forces and allied fighters targeted Druze civilians, followed by retaliatory violence by Druze groups against Bedouin communities, and further reprisals by tribal fighters against Druze areas.

The commission said the violations, including executions, torture, sexual violence, and forced displacement, may amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.