Syria31 August, 20262 min read
Druze National Guard Accuses Damascus of Shelling Suwayda, Injuring Child
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Druze National Guard accuses Damascus of shelling Suwayda. Four Syrian Internal Security Forces members injured in western Suwayda clashes.
6 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Asad Al-Shaibani Meets Saddam Haftar in Benghazi Over Syrian Consulate And Missing Syrians →
Suwayda clashes and accusations
Syrian internal security forces responded to attacks by groups described by state media as “outlaws” targeting security positions in the Suwayda countryside on Monday, while the Druze National Guard accused Damascus of shelling an area west of Suwayda city and injuring a child. Shafaq News said the Syrian News Agency reported that two security personnel were wounded and that “outlaw groups” were targeting the village of al-Mansoura in the Suwayda countryside with drones.
The Druze National Guard, which represents the Druze community in Suwayda province, alleged that “Syrian government forces fired mortar rounds and 23mm machine guns toward the western outskirts of Suwayda city.” The National Guard called the shelling a random attack targeting residential neighborhoods and accused the government of pursuing a “retaliatory approach,” while warning that any response “will not go unanswered.”
Injuries in Laha area
Another report said four members of the Syrian Internal Security Forces were injured on Monday evening in clashes with local armed groups in the western countryside of al-Suwayda, in the southern part of the country. The Syrian News Channel reported that the four personnel were injured while government forces repelled attacks carried out by armed groups at security points around the villages of al-Mansoura, Wolga, and Tel Hedid.
In contrast, the “National Guard” group—affiliated with Druze sheikh Hamad al-Hijri—accused government forces in a statement on the Facebook platform of firing mortar shells and randomly spraying with 23mm machine guns along the city’s western axis. The province of al-Suwayda has been under a ceasefire since July 2025, following armed clashes between Bedouin clans and Druze that left hundreds dead and wounded, according to an official inquiry committee formed by the authorities.
Ceasefire strain and next risks
The clashes came as Suwayda’s ceasefire environment remained tense, with the National Guard militia also circulating claims about a landmine explosion that killed two civilians on Sunday west of the city of Suwayda. In that account, the National Guard claimed the explosion was caused by an attack with a missile by Syrian security forces, while local sources said Mahmoud Abu Hamdan and Asia al-Ali died when a landmine exploded on the tractor they were riding.
The same report said the National Guard blocked circulation of photos from the explosion site and issued instructions to local media pages in Suwayda to accuse the Syrian Internal Security forces of responsibility for the incident. It also described how, over the past two days, the National Guard militias prevented students from reaching the centers designated for the exceptional make-up examination in the northern countryside of Suwayda, with checkpoints set up on routes out of town and protests by students and relatives demanding permission to take their exams.