Syrian government forces have been accused of carrying out a massacre at Suweida National Hospital during clashes between religious groups that began just over a week ago
Officials say patients were killed inside their rooms.
What we saw at the hospital
Upon arriving at the parking lot of Suweida’s main hospital, the first impact was the smell.
Dozens of decomposing bodies were lined up in white plastic bags.
Some bags were open, revealing the bloated and mutilated remains of those murdered there.
The ground was slick with blood, and the odor, under the hot sun, was unbearable.
“It was a massacre,” said Wissam Massoud, a neurosurgeon at the hospital.
“The soldiers came saying they would bring peace, but they killed dozens of patients, from the youngest to the oldest.”
Massoud sent the BBC a video he says was recorded shortly after the government forces invaded.
In the video, a woman shows the inside of the hospital.
In the rooms, dozens of dead patients still lay in their beds, covered in blood-stained sheets.
All those in this photo were killed by jihadists while doing their jobs as doctors and nurses at the Suwayda hospital in southern Syria. The world remains silent. But it demands that Israel not attack the Syrians.
*”They are monsters”*
Doctors, nurses, and hospital volunteers tell the same story: last week, Syrian government troops attacked the Druze religious community, stormed the hospital, and committed the murders.
Kiness Abu Motab, a hospital volunteer, asked: “What crime did these people commit? Just being a minority in a country that claims to be democratic””
“They are criminals.
They are monsters.
We don’t trust them,” said Osama Malak, an English teacher from the city, who was outside the hospital.
He said the soldiers shot an 8-year-old disabled child in the head.
According to international law, hospitals must be protected in conflict.
Even so, soldiers entered the hospital and shot everyone, including patients sleeping in their beds.
#Syria#Suwayda “Individuals wearing Ministry of Defense uniforms and tribal attire are abducting citizens in Sweida to execute them, labeling them as heretics and infidels. pic.twitter.com/bqw4ZKMF7X
Individuals wearing Ministry of Defense uniforms and tribal attire are abducting citizens in Sweida to execute them, labeling them as heretics and infidels.
City under siege
It’s still unclear exactly what happened at the hospital.
Some estimate that more than 300 people died, but that number has not yet been confirmed.
The day before, the Syrian Ministry of Defense said it was aware of reports of “shocking violations” committed by people dressed in military uniforms in the city of Suweida, which is predominantly Druze.
Raed Saleh, the Syrian Minister of Disaster Management, stated that all reports of atrocities will be rigorously investigated.
Entering Suweida is difficult, as the Syrian government controls who can enter or leave the city.
To get there, the BBC passed through several checkpoints.
In the city, we saw burned shops and buildings, as well as cars destroyed by tanks.
Suweida was clearly the scene of an intense battle between Druze and Bedouin fighters.
It was at this point that the Syrian government intervened, attempting to impose a ceasefire.
Although some Druze villages in Suweida province have already been retaken by government forces, the city, which has a population of over 70,000, is still under Druze control.
Scenes of horror in Suweida southern Syria as Islamist Bedouins continue the massacre of Druze. In this video they force Druze citizens at gunpoint to jump off the roofs of buildings. Over 400 have been killed so far. pic.twitter.com/voDU4ctJVu
Scenes of horror in Suweida southern Syria as Islamist Bedouins continue the massacre of Druze. In this video they force Druze citizens at gunpoint to jump off the roofs of buildings. Over 400 have been killed so far.
? A Demand For Action (@DemandForAction) July 20, 2025
Pastor”s Family Murdered – Another Heart-Wrenching Tragedy in Suweida Yesterday, heartbreaking reports began circulating on social media, via email, and through private messages”accompanied by photos and a video”claiming that Pastor Khaled Mazhar, who served at the Good Shepherd Evangelical Church in Suweida, Syria, had been killed alongside his wife, children, and other relatives. Due to conflicting information, we initially delayed reporting. We can now confirm, through a close relative of the pastor, that he and eleven members of his family were brutally murdered. A thirteenth victim”a young woman”miraculously survived, as the perpetrators believed she was dead. Every human life is invaluable, regardless of ethnicity or faith. We are profoundly devastated by this horrific news and extend our deepest condolences. We will continue to give voice to all the victims of Suweida. May Pastor Khaled Mazhar and his beautiful family rest in peace. Martyrs. Aloho mhaselen.
