Trending Now - UN Urges Syria to Probe Violent Abuses in Druze Clashes

WHO:

United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa

Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri

Armed groups affiliated with Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri

Local Bedouin clans

Human rights groups

WHAT:

The U.N. report states there is “no indication” Syria has investigated violations committed by its forces during sectarian clashes.

At least 1,700 people died in the clashes, the vast majority from the Druze religious minority.

Approximately 200,000 people were displaced due to the violence in Sweida.

Almost 200 women and children were among the dead.

The report describes “widespread looting and systematic burning” during the government-led advance.

The report mentions that nearly all Druze religious sites in affected villages were looted, burned, and vandalized.

Retaliatory attacks against Bedouin civilians occurred, with documented cases of civilians being shot and killed while fleeing.

WHERE:

Sweida province, Syria

Affected areas included those under government control and those under the de facto rule of an Israeli-backed umbrella group of local armed Druze factions.

35 villages in Sweida province were targeted during the violence.

WHEN:

The sectarian clashes occurred in mid-July 2025.

U.N. investigators spent weeks in Syria, interviewing over 400 survivors and officials.

WHY:

The report urges Syria’s government to investigate the leadership of its security forces for allowing or organizing sectarian attacks against the Druze community.

The violence was exacerbated by armed tribal fighters mobilizing to support government forces.

HOW:

U.N. investigators conducted interviews and visited affected areas to gather evidence of the violence.

The report details that hospital staff were overwhelmed, leading to the burial of bodies before identification could occur.

(UPDATED March 27, 2026 17:19 UTC)

A new U.N. report reveals that there has been “no indication” that Syria has investigated the violations committed by its forces during sectarian clashes in Sweida province, where at least 1,700 people, mostly from the Druze religious minority, lost their lives. The report highlights widespread looting and systematic burning during the government-led advance, with nearly all Druze religious sites in affected villages being vandalized, while almost 200 women and children were among the dead and 200,000 people were displaced due to the violence. U.N. investigators, who spent weeks interviewing over 400 survivors and officials, are urging Syria’s government to hold accountable the leadership of its security forces for allowing these sectarian attacks to occur.