The National Guard militia in Suweida has claimed it dismantled what it described as a Syrian government-backed internal conspiracy, announcing a series of arrests.
In a video statement, the group alleged that it had uncovered a network planning bombings, assassinations and coordinated attacks across the province.
The faction said "these gangs have recently recruited a group of agents from within… in exchange for cheap personal gains and money stained with the blood of the innocent", adding that investigations "documented with confessions and evidence" showed internal parties linked to the Damascus government were involved.
The statement alleged that digital communications helped form "initial cells… to later expand the recruitment circle" with the aim of carrying out "a series of terrorist bombings in public and vital places, including central markets, official and military buildings, and houses of worship".
No evidence was presented to back up any of the claims made.
The video also claimed that the operation was meant to coincide with “a surprise attack from the northern and western axes to infiltrate our defensive lines… committing massacres against the local population", as well as the infiltration of "widely followed local news pages… to spread false news and sow a spirit of defeatism".
It said National Guard units "managed to completely uncover the threads of the conspiracy and identify the largest number of agents", arresting those accused and referring them to the judiciary.
The faction further addressed the recent deaths of two detainees, stating that "forensic reports indicate the first death resulted from a large dose of blood-pressure medication, and the second from a heart attack", and insisting that their deaths were unrelated to detention.
Local sources described the account as disputed, noting that a video that circulated online last week appeared to show National Guard members beating Sheikh Raed al-Mutni during his arrest. Al-Mutni died less than two days later, and his body was taken to Suweida National Hospital.
Syria TV, citing local sources, reported that he had been subjected to severe physical assault following a raid on the house where he was staying.
A second cleric, Maher Falhout, reportedly died after surrendering himself to the faction. Local outlets and activists said his body was also transferred to Suweida National Hospital in circumstances similar to al-Mutni’s.
Syria TV has published broader allegations about the treatment of detainees inside National Guard facilities, including beatings, prolonged suspension, food and sleep deprivation, psychological pressure, and transfers of detainees to undisclosed locations. Several detainees were said to have disappeared after being moved out of the facilities.
The two reported deaths have intensified local tensions, particularly because both clerics were accused by rivals of maintaining ties with figures associated with the former Syrian government - allegations they reportedly denied.
In the fragmented political landscape that has emerged since the end of the Assad era, such accusations carry significant weight, dividing clerics and community leaders over Suweida’s position in relation to the Syrian government.
The National Guard has become one of the province’s most powerful factions, aligned with anti-government cleric Hikmat al-Hijri and operating as a de facto security force. Critics accuse it of detaining rivals, enforcing loyalty and using coercive measures to consolidate influence, while supporters argue it fills a security vacuum amid weakened state institutions.
The internal tensions in Suweida come against a backdrop of heightened instability in Suweida. A ceasefire agreed on 19 July paused weeks of heavy clashes between Druze factions and government-linked Bedouin tribes that left hundreds dead.
Local sources reported renewed clashes overnight between the National Guard and transitional government forces along the al-Majdal–al-Mazra’a axis in western Suweida countryside. They said heavy-weapons fire continued into the early morning hours, with limited reinforcements brought in by both sides and no confirmed reports of casualties.
On Tuesday, government forces based in the village of al-Mansura reportedly targeted an area controlled by the National Guard with heavy machine-gun fire.