Amnesty International this week documented evidence that Syrian military forces and government-aligned troops conducted extrajudicial killings of Druze religious minorities in Suwayda province during sectarian fighting in July.

The new allegations follow Damascus’ announcement that it would conduct its own probe into possible human rights violations in the city.

The Amnesty International investigation found that Syrian and Bedouin forces killed at least 46 Druze people, including two women and two elderly people. The killings took place in public places like a school, a hospital and a public square. Killings were also recorded in private homes and a ceremonial hall. 

All killings took place within Suwayda city or its outskirts, Amnesty International notes, following the entrance of government forces on July 15. 

The violence kicked off on July 11, when Druze and Bedouin tribes clashed in the southern Syrian province of Sweida. Government forces responded on July 15, entering the province as peacekeepers but soon fighting against Druze militia. That same day, Israel launched strikes against Syrian and Bedouin forces in the region. Following more fighting and an Israeli airstrike on Damascus, the Syrian government signed a ceasefire agreement with Druze leaders, with government troops withdrawing July 16. 

“The Syrian government must promptly, independently, impartially and transparently investigate these executions and hold perpetrators accountable in fair proceedings, without recourse to the death penalty,” Amnesty International’s Syria researcher Diana Semaan wrote.

The investigation cited 13 witnesses living in Suwayda and two who have left. Eight of them said they testified that they saw their family members executed. Others witnessed humiliation rituals, including the forceful shaving of facial hair, an insulting ordeal for Druze minority members. 

Amnesty International said its investigators reviewed nearly two dozen videos and photos posted online between July 15 and Aug. 10, matching testimony from witnesses with bodies found in the videos. Some men carrying out the killings often wore military uniforms with identifiable camouflage or black uniforms with official government patches on their arms. 

Amnesty International reviewed several videos showing troops riding in trucks branded with official government insignia. 

The organization said it forwarded the information to the Syrian Ministry of Justice, asking for a status update on its investigation.

Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has struggled to contain sectarian violence since taking power last year. His administration has worked to consolidate power and disarm rogue militia groups throughout the country, which has worried some religious minorities concerned about further repression. In March, government-aligned forces launched a series of brutal attacks on Alawite minority members, resulting in more than 1,600 deaths.

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.