Prisoners reveal details of Sweida attack: orders for mass extermination

As part of ongoing coverage and exposing the behind-the-scenes of the military escalation witnessed in Sweida Governorate during July this year, and the parties responsible for the massacres, ANHA agency managed to reach two members of the Syrian Interim Government forces who were captured by local Druze military forces and were able to reveal new details.

The two detainees spoke about receiving orders to "commit a mass extermination" against the Druze sect, noting that their leaders deceived them by portraying the people of Sweida in a distorted manner. They also expressed regret after the humane treatment they received from the Druze forces during their captivity.

"Orders for Mass Extermination"

Mohammad Abdullah Al-Alawi, known as "Abu Rayan," a member of the Interim Government forces from western Hama countryside, confirmed that he was not subjected to any beating or humiliation since the moment of their capture. He recounted that he arrived with a convoy consisting of around 800 vehicles after what was called the "general mobilization" at the Mazrab Bridge in Hama, heading towards Damascus, then to the Izra area in Daraa countryside, and from there to Sweida near the Wilga area.

He explained that the orders issued to them were to target anyone they encountered whether civilian, armed, or vehicle under the name of "mass extermination of the Druze."

"Changing Military Uniforms to Tribal Clothes"

Al-Alawi added that upon entering homes, they would shoot anyone they found or abduct and assault them. He pointed out that the authorities who sent them instructed them to identify themselves as "tribesmen," not affiliated with the Ministry of Defense or any official entity.

He said, "There was no clear military coordination, and what drove us to attack was the claim that the people of Sweida were the aggressors," expressing regret after the kind treatment he received from the people of Sweida, and emphasizing that he was deceived by his leaders.

Minor Fighter: "We Received Orders to Kill Everyone We Encountered"

The other detainee, the minor fighter Badr Mohammad Al-Kadam, only 16 years old and active in the Sayyida Zainab area of Damascus, confirmed that he is a member of the "Ministry of Defense of the Interim Government."

He said they entered Sweida under the instructions of a leader called "Abu Mohammad Al-Domani," where their military uniforms were replaced with civilian clothes resembling those of local Bedouins to conceal their identities. Al-Kadam confirmed that the convoy included members of the Ministry of Defense, General Security, and tribal fighters. He noted that the orders they received from their leaders were clear and explicit: "mass extermination of the people of Sweida, killing everyone we encounter, whether civilian or military."

"Humane Treatment by the People of Sweida"

He added that they were misled by their leaders, who described the Druze community as "infidels and oppressors," but after his capture, he discovered that their rhetoric was deceitful, especially given the humane treatment he received from the people of Sweida and the local military forces.

On July 13, Sweida Governorate and its countryside witnessed a military escalation that began with an attack involving forces from the Interim Government and other affiliated armed groups under the name of "tribal forces," resulting in massacres that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Over 2,000 people were killed, and hundreds of civilians, including women and children, were kidnapped.

ANHA