Armed groups in Syria's Suweida accused of 'massacre' at hospital, amid reports over 100 killed

The Syrian government has accused local armed factions of carrying out a massacre at Suweida National Hospital, where dozens of bodies were discovered earlier this week following days of intense clashes in the southern province.

The health ministry said the bodies, belonging to members of the security forces and civilians, were found after "outlaw groups" withdrew from the hospital, which had come under their control during the clashes.

The ministry said that its teams were only able to access the building after the armed factions pulled out, and that Israeli airstrikes had earlier obstructed the entry of medical aid into the city.

According to the ministry's media office, the dead included members of the Syrian army and General Security forces. The government accused the armed groups of committing the killings before retreating, calling it a war crime.

Syrian legal expert Manhal al-Alou described the incident as a "genocidal massacre" carried out "on the basis of identity" by militias loyal to Druze cleric Hikmat al-Hijri.

Writing on Facebook, he alleged that over 100 people, including wounded civilians and security personnel, were executed while receiving treatment.

Al-Alou claimed the victims were killed using knives, scalpels, gunfire, strangulation, injections, and by cutting off oxygen supplies, calling the massacre "a complete war crime" and urging international legal action.

The hospital, Suweida's largest, became a flashpoint after fighting erupted on Saturday between Druze militias and Bedouin tribal groups, drawing in Syrian government forces and the Druze-led military council.

Local outlet Suwayda24 reported that most of the bodies found were residents of the governorate, including local fighters and members of the interior and defence ministries who were unable to be evacuated to Daraa.

Local sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister outlet, that wounded civilians from Bedouin tribes had been taken to the hospital at the start of the clashes.

Government forces reportedly entered to protect them, but were then besieged by armed factions who executed security personnel on site. Local medical staff were allowed to leave.

The massacre was reportedly discovered after a truce was reached and the factions withdrew.

"Local armed groups, including members of the military council, prevented media professionals from entering the city at gunpoint since early morning after taking control of main roads leading into Suweida," one source said.

Syrian journalist Qutaiba Yassin posted a video showing fighters linked to local factions gathering around the hospital before allegedly killing wounded civilians and security forces.

The footage, shared by Syrian Red Crescent volunteer Maamoun Walid Adwan, reportedly shows him accompanying Hijri-aligned fighters outside the hospital in the lead-up to the killings. The New Arab was unable to independently verify the video.

Suwayda24 claimed that the bodies belonged to government personnel killed in earlier fighting who could not be transferred to Daraa hospitals. It accused General Security of bringing wounded forces into the hospital on Tuesday, suggesting the narrative around a massacre was being manipulated.

The hospital has been without power for four days and is no longer operational. Morgues have exceeded capacity, and a shortage of staff and transport has left bodies piling up inside the facility.

Suwayda24 reported that forces affiliated with the defence ministry had taken control of the hospital and detained remaining medical personnel. Communications were cut, and food and water were limited.

The New Arab's affiliate SyriaTV confirmed that the dead included both civilians and security personnel, and reported that Israeli forces had targeted moving vehicles in the area, preventing humanitarian teams from reaching the hospital.

Health Minister Musab al-Ali, speaking to state media agency SANA, claimed Israeli airstrikes were to blame for blocking a medical convoy from entering Suweida. The Israeli airstrikes had targeted Suweida as well as the capital, Damascus. 

President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Thursday accused Israel of "sowing division in Syria and attempting to spread chaos in the country".

He vowed to hold accountable anyone responsible for abuses against the Druze community, calling them "an integral part of the nation’s fabric".

Previous reports from Suweida said that government-affiliated forces had carried out field executions of Druze civilians and other abuses, including public humiliation of Druze men.