Security footage from Sweida National Hospital in southern Syria has surfaced, capturing a horrifying event: a medical worker being killed by men dressed in military attire. The video, released by activist collective Suwayda 24, dates back to July 16 during fierce clashes between Druze militias, armed tribal groups, and government forces.
In the footage, several individuals in scrubs are seen kneeling in a hospital corridor as armed men surround them. One of the medical workers is struck on the head, resists arrest, and is ultimately shot first with an assault rifle and then with a pistol. A man in a jumpsuit marked “Internal Security Forces” appears to guide the armed group into the hospital. Another surveillance angle captures a tank stationed outside the facility.
Attribution and Investigations Underway
Activist sources attribute the attackers to Syrian military and security forces.Meanwhile, a Syrian government official stated that the identity of the assailants remains unconfirmed and that an investigation is ongoing to determine whether the perpetrators were government-affiliated or tribal gunmen.
Syria’s Interior Ministry, through state-run news agency SANA, announced that Maj. Gen. Abdul Qader Al‑Tahhan, Deputy Minister of Interior for Security Affairs, has been appointed to lead the inquiry. The statement strongly condemned the act and affirmed that those responsible will be held accountable “regardless of their affiliations.”
Broader Context: Escalating Violence in Sweida
This incident occurred amid wider sectarian violence in Sweida province, where clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes, compounded by the involvement of government forces, have sparked hundreds of civilian casualties. The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported over 1,000 Druze deaths, including women and children.
Local activists and rights groups, including the Syrian Network for Human Rights and SOHR, have demanded an independent international investigation, citing alarming patterns of abuse and executions. They also decried the credibility of the government’s internal investigative committee.
The UN Security Council weighed in, calling for impartial, transparent investigations and reiterating the legal protection due to medical personnel and facilities under international law.
International and Humanitarian Implications
Attacks targeting healthcare workers and institutions violate fundamental principles of humanitarian law, which mandate the protection of medical staff in conflict zones. This breach raises deeply troubling questions about the potential normalization of violence against protected professionals.
Beyond this specific attack, leaked footage from other outlets—such as ANF—depicts widespread massacres at Sana hospital, where dozens of bodies were reportedly found, further suggesting systemic targeting of medical personnel during the violence.
What’s at Stake Next
As Syrians reel from the brutality captured on video, the response to this footage will likely shape the international community’s stance toward justice and accountability in Syria’s fractured conflict. If credible and comprehensive, an independent investigation could bolster efforts to end impunity for violations against civilians and reinforce protections for medical workers.