Hundreds missing and thousands dead amid bloody clashes in Syria’s Suwayda

SUWAYDA, Syria — As the southern province of Suwayda struggles to recover from weeks of brutal violence that erupted on July 13, the toll from the ground continues to surpass the imaginable. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), at least 560 people have gone missing—among them 52 women and 26 children—following unprecedented clashes between armed Druze factions and tribal groups reportedly backed by Syria’s Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior.

Despite the announcement of a fragile ceasefire on July 19, the situation remains tense. The fate of the hundreds of missing persons is still unknown, fueling fear and anguish among their families, who continue to issue desperate pleas for answers and accountability.

According to the latest figures from the SOHR, 1,490 people have been killed since the onset of the clashes until the ceasefire took effect. Among the dead were 707 residents of Suwayda, including 164 civilians—21 children and 56 women. The toll also includes 469 personnel from the Syrian Defense Ministry and General Security, 15 soldiers killed in Israeli airstrikes, and two journalists who died while covering the violence. Particularly harrowing are the 291 reported victims of summary executions—among them 17 women, 10 children, and one elderly man. In addition, three members of the Bedouin tribes, including a woman and a child, were reportedly killed by Druze gunmen.

Parallel to the fighting, Suwayda has been under a suffocating siege for over two weeks. Humanitarian aid access remains severely limited, and living conditions are rapidly deteriorating. Residents are facing dire shortages of food and medicine, while survivors report a total collapse of essential services—amid a noticeable lack of effective response from both the Syrian government and international organizations.

Families of the missing say the official silence is killing them every day. They have no information, no photos, no calls—just a heavy, terrifying void. They live suspended between hope and despair, unsure whether they will receive a lifeless body or a sign of life.

The SOHR warns that the published numbers may not be final, as many casualties remain undocumented. Bodies continue to be recovered from rubble and besieged areas.

Although a ceasefire is technically in place, the crisis is far from resolved. Tensions continue to simmer across southern Syria, with many analysts warning of another wave of violence unless meaningful measures are taken on the ground.

The people of Suwayda—who have long upheld peaceful resistance and civil protest—are now left asking: Has the south been abandoned? Where is justice? When will those who unleashed the violence and abandoned our sons to an unknown fate be held accountable?

Until those questions are answered, the rising number of the dead and disappeared stands as a stark, bloody testament to yet another tragic chapter in war-torn Syria.