Claims of Hospital Massacre in Syria Amid Sectarian Violence

Mon Oct 20 2025 13:12:43 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Eyewitness accounts suggest brutal actions by Syrian government forces at a hospital in Suweida, raising alarm over violence targeting the Druze community.

Reports from Suweida indicate a horrific massacre at a local hospital, with claims that government troops targeted patients based on their minority status. Eyewitnesses describe gruesome scenes and a growing sense of fear among the community.

In the latest disturbing reports from Syria's Druze-majority province of Suweida, claims have emerged of a massacre at a local hospital. Eyewitness accounts suggest that Syrian government forces carried out brutal killings targeting patients amid escalating sectarian violence. The situation in Suweida is becoming increasingly alarming following last week's violent clashes.

In an investigation conducted by BBC's Jon Donnison, the Suweida National Hospital revealed a grisly scene with multiple decomposing corpses in the car park, indicating the severity of the reported massacre. Dr. Wissam Massoud, a neurosurgeon at the hospital, recounted how government soldiers entered the facility under the pretense of restoring peace but ended up killing numerous patients, ranging from the very young to the elderly.

Grief and condemnation echoed among the hospital staff and volunteers. Kiness Abu Motab, a hospital volunteer, noted that the victims were targeted for being part of the Druze minority, questioning the morality and humanity of such actions within a nation that claims to be democratic. A local English teacher shared chilling details, claiming an eight-year-old disabled boy was shot while resting in his bed.

Allegations of atrocities are not new in the ongoing conflict, with various factions, including Druze fighters and the Syrian Army, trading accusations of civilian killings. However, the precise death toll from the hospital incident — which some estimates put as high as 300 — remains unverified, amidst a tightly controlled environment that has limited access to firsthand accounts.

The Syrian defense ministry has acknowledged reports of "shocking violations" committed by individuals dressed in military attire. Minister Raed Saleh assured that investigations would ensue regarding these grave allegations.

Despite ongoing tensions, Suweida City, home to more than 70,000 people, remains under Druze governance, with recent battles and significant destruction evident throughout the region. The city's siege-like conditions pose challenges to obtaining clear evidence of the events that unfolded within the hospital.

Among the survivors is eight-year-old Hala Al Khatib, tragically injured in the assault and left with an uncertain future, as she is unaware of her parents’ fates. As fear and violence grip the community, the quest for truth and justice continues in a land marred by conflict.