The Syrian Commission of Inquiry into sectarian violence in Suwayda Governorate in the south of the country reported on Sunday the arrest of an unspecified number of officials in the Ministries of Defense and Interior suspected of committing violations during sectarian fighting between Druze militiamen and Bedouins that took place last July and left about 700 people dead.
The arrests were limited to members of the security forces and the army who violated the instructions of the military portfolio, as these parties only participated in the Suwayda operations, according to what the head of the National Committee to Investigate the Suwayda Events, Hatem al-Naasan, told the official news agency SANA.
The organization’s spokesman, Ammar Ezz El-Din, pointed out the same, and noted that the committee is taking legal measures against anyone proven to be involved in hate speech or incitement to sectarian violence. The authority enjoys broad powers granted to it by the Syrian transitional president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, as I highlighted.
Naasan said that the investigations, which included more than half a thousand testimonies, examination of audio-visual materials, and hundreds of documents from witnesses and victims, led to the release of 66 kidnappers. However, he warned that the operation is not progressing at the expected pace, so the agency will request an extension to complete field work in Suwayda and more fully assess the extent of violations and the number of aggressors.
At the beginning of last September, the Syrian authorities announced the arrest of “several” individuals as part of the fighting between Bedouins who support the Damascus authorities against the Druze minority militias. In mid-July, the Syrian government confirmed a ceasefire in Suwayda Governorate and deployed its security forces to maintain the cessation of violence, which left about 700 people dead, including about 250 civilians.
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