Local factions aligned with Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri are reportedly detaining a number of Bedouin civilians in Syria’s southern Suwayda governorate—most of them women and children—amid fears they could be subjected to acts of retaliation following days of violent clashes.

A Bedouin resident who fled to neighboring Daraa governorate told Enab Baladi that the factions had gathered Bedouin civilians in one of the city’s mosques. He noted that his sister was among the detainees and that he could only speak to her covertly.

The source, who requested anonymity out of concern for the safety of his sister and other detained relatives in Suwayda, said he did not know the reason for the detention or whether it was for their protection or to use them as human shields.

Videos circulated by activists show civilians, including women and children, surrounded by an armed fighter from a Druze-aligned faction, threatening to kill them if tribal fighters advanced toward the city.

The source interviewed by Enab Baladi was unable to determine the exact number of detainees but estimated it to be in the dozens or even hundreds.

Meanwhile, the “Southern Tribes Assembly,” a key actor in the conflict, claimed that around 4,000 tribal members were trapped in Suwayda, including children, women, and elderly people.

Enab Baladi was unable to verify the number of detainees independently.

Human Shields

Mohammad al-Abdallah, Executive Director of the Syria Justice and Accountability Center (SJAC), stated that detaining families—including women and children—and threatening that they would share the fate of attacking fighters if hostilities reached their location constitutes clear evidence of the crime of using civilians as human shields.

In a Facebook post commenting on the incident, al-Abdallah emphasized that international law explicitly prohibits the use of human shields.

He explained that under customary international humanitarian law, the use of human shields is prohibited in both international and non-international armed conflicts and carries individual criminal responsibility.

Exploiting the presence of civilians or other protected individuals to render certain military points or personnel immune from attack constitutes a war crime under Article 8(2)(b) of the Rome Statute and may be considered a crime against humanity in non-international armed conflicts, according to al-Abdallah.

The predominantly Druze governorate of Suwayda has been gripped by escalating violence following mutual kidnappings between Druze factions and Bedouin tribes.

The tensions prompted the deployment of Syrian Interior and Defense Ministry forces to separate the warring sides. However, local factions rejected their presence and launched counterattacks, accusing government forces of committing violations.

Israel subsequently intervened in support of factions loyal to Sheikh al-Hijri, targeting government positions in and around Suwayda, including the General Staff headquarters in Damascus.

After government forces withdrew, Bedouin residents were reportedly subjected to violations including killings and detentions by local factions, sparking outrage among tribal communities across Syria and prompting thousands of reinforcements to mobilize in support of the Bedouins.

Aqel al-Nimr, an 80-year-old member of the Bedouin community in Suwayda, said local factions committed abuses against Bedouin civilians, including the killing of women and children and humiliating detentions.

He stressed that horrific killings targeted both long-term Bedouin residents and others from northeastern Syria who had migrated for agricultural work.

“We never attacked anyone. We were peaceful in our homes,” al-Nimr said, emphasizing that Bedouins and Druze had coexisted peacefully in Suwayda for hundreds of years.

Ongoing Mediation Efforts

The Syrian government is seeking to de-escalate tensions in Suwayda through negotiations with local parties, under international mediation and sponsorship.

Both the tribal factions and Druze spiritual leadership have declared their commitment to the ceasefire agreement, paving the way for the deployment of Internal Security Forces to villages in Suwayda to prevent further clashes.

The Druze leadership, headed by Sheikh al-Hijri, pledged to facilitate the safe evacuation of Bedouins from Suwayda via two crossings to Bosra al-Harir and Bosra al-Sham in Daraa governorate.

According to figures released by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), the death toll from the ongoing conflict has exceeded 300 people, including both civilians and combatants from both sides. The number is expected to rise in the coming days.

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