Suwayda Governorate (southern Syria) has witnessed widespread security chaos and killings in recent months, with several incidents recorded in different parts of the governorate. The incidents have varied between direct gunfire, criminal cases caused by personal disputes, theft attempts, and settling scores.
This escalation has not only added new victims, but has also created a general state of anxiety and fear among residents, who now feel that security is no longer guaranteed and that any detail in their daily lives could turn into an act of violence.
Avoiding disputes has become a forced choice, out of fear that they could develop into the use of weapons.
This state of security instability is not new, and was not a direct result of the July 2025 events alone. It is an extension of earlier accumulated problems that were not addressed until they became difficult to contain.
Its causes go back to the uncontrolled spread of weapons, weak rule of law, the multiplicity of local armed groups and gangs, and social and family factors.
In this report, Enab Baladi monitored the most prominent killing incidents witnessed in the governorate since the start of 2026, to analyze their patterns and examine the causes and factors contributing to their recurrence.
The report is based on testimonies from local residents, a journalist, a civil activist, and a lawyer, all of whom requested that their names not be disclosed for security reasons.
Random and Improper Use of Weapons
Incidents involving uncontrolled weapons use are among the most prominent manifestations of violence in the governorate. Several injuries and deaths have been recorded because of the absence of safety rules and the spread of weapons within reach of most people, whether inside homes or in public places. These incidents are no longer isolated individual cases, but reflect a lack of sufficient awareness of the danger posed by weapons.
In late January, Tareq Suleiman Hamza, a man in his sixties, was wounded by a gunshot to the head while cleaning a weapon inside his home.
The death of the young man Ahed Nofal was also recorded in February, as a result of improper use of a weapon that led to him being shot in the chest.
The incidents have not been limited to individual use, as civilians may be injured by random gunfire without being directly targeted.
Zain al-Abidin Haidar Hussein was injured while on the roof of his home by a bullet of unknown source in the eastern countryside of the governorate.
Other injuries were recorded near al-Basha roundabout, formerly al-Basel, in the city center, after a group of people fired into the air for unknown reasons.
According to “Abu Asaad,” who owns one of the beverage shops near the site, the roundabout had witnessed similar incidents before.
These incidents have created panic among his customers and others nearby. He said that in two separate incidents, stray bullets shattered the windows of his shops.
“Abu Saad” called for “patrols to be deployed to ensure the security of the roundabout.”
Another incident on May 9 claimed the life of the child Nour Ghubra, 10, in the village of Dhibin, after he was hit by a gunshot from a hunting rifle inside the home, amid assumptions that the incident resulted from tampering with the weapon.
Hand Grenades, A Growing Danger
Hand grenades have emerged as one of the most dangerous sources of threat, as explosions caused by tampering or misuse have recurred. This greatly raises the level of danger compared with individual weapons, because grenades can cause mass injuries.
In late January, a grenade explosion in the industrial area of Suwayda city killed the two children Sultan Badran and Ward al-Barouki, and injured six others, after a group of children and young men tampered with it.
Local sources at the time suggested that it was a war remnant.
Similar incidents have recurred. The young man Rayan Abu Hamdan was killed in April after a grenade in his possession exploded near Kanaker intersection west of the city. Alaa Ghazlan was also seriously wounded on January 29 after a grenade exploded by accident.
A hand grenade exploded while Saeda Hindi Barjas, from the village of Bakka, was cleaning her house, leading to her death.
Personal Disputes and Direct Violence
Some incidents reveal how individual disputes have turned into armed confrontations. Conflicts are no longer resolved through social mediation or legal channels, and weapons have become a quick and direct option.
On January 23, Adham Hadi Shujaa was injured by several gunshots because of a financial dispute, while Wahb Nihad Albeh was injured in a separate incident in Shahba city for unknown reasons.
On February 24, the teenager Fahd Naji al-Shaarani was killed by a gunshot to the head after an unknown dispute broke out between him and another group, in an incident that reflects the rising intensity of violence and its spread to younger age groups.
March 23 saw the killing of Mohammad Shafiq al-Fares and his son, Nizar al-Fares, who were killed inside their home in the town of Ariqah by one of their relatives, Yahya al-Fares. He was later killed in an ambush set by relatives of one of the victims.
Engineer Munir al-Bahri was also killed in mid April after unidentified gunmen opened fire on him while he was in his car, then fled, causing his immediate death.
A dispute also broke out among residents of Ariqah on April 24, causing casualties and the death of a young man from the Azzam family.
Alongside these cases, killings and injuries whose circumstances remain unclear were also recorded. Maha Salman al-Masri died at the beginning of the year after being shot in the neck.
The young man Hassan Murshid died at the end of April after being hit by several gunshots following a family dispute inside his home.
Mysterious Incidents With Possible Political Backgrounds
Accounts conflicted over the shooting of the young man Anad Makarem on April 14, when a bullet struck his face, with narratives differing over whether it resulted from a personal dispute or had a political background.
The incident came one day after Makarem published a video on his personal Facebook page accusing the “National Guard” and what is known as the “security office” of exploiting residents’ suffering, while ambiguity around the incident continued.
There are also incidents whose backgrounds remain unclear, including incidents at the end of 2025 that sparked broad controversy over the possibility that some were linked to political backgrounds or publicly critical positions.
One of them was the arrest of Sheikh Raed al-Matni by the “National Guard,” after which his body arrived at a hospital in Suwayda bearing signs of torture. The incident sparked public anger and resentment, amid demands to uncover its circumstances.
Anwar Fawzat al-Shaer was also killed in the village of Busan after being shot, days after he posted comments on Facebook criticizing local factions, without any official confirmation linking the two incidents.
In addition, a local journalist told Enab Baladi about recorded incidents whose circumstances remained mysterious amid a complete cover-up of their details. He pointed to suicide cases that were concealed and described as resulting from improper use of weapons, but Enab Baladi could not verify this information.
Killings Linked to Theft
The criminal dimension has also been present in the violence scene, with killings linked to theft attempts recorded amid deteriorating economic conditions and rising poverty rates, which have turned some theft attempts into deadly assaults.
On February 2, the young man Walid Farraj al-Shoufi died of his wounds after he was attacked by unidentified people who tried to steal his motorcycle, in an incident that reflects the transformation of theft into deadly violent crime.
In another incident, Rima al-Khatib Abu Fakhr was shot at the beginning of January during a clash that erupted while an attempt was being made to arrest suspects accused of theft. She later died of her wounds, highlighting how civilians become victims in the context of armed incidents even when they are not direct parties to them.
These incidents have pushed some citizens to refrain from buying motorcycles because of the rise in thefts and related assaults.
According to what citizens told Enab Baladi, fear is no longer limited to losing the motorcycle itself, but also includes the possibility of being attacked or robbed while using it. This pushes people to abandon the idea despite needing motorcycles as a lower cost means of transportation.
Queue Management Creates Chaos and Fear
Manifestations of tension are not limited to direct assault incidents. Cases of firing into the air have been recorded as a result of daily disputes, including disputes over organizing queues at fuel stations or bakeries, and even during occasions and celebrations, without regard for the presence of civilian residents or children.
“Saleha D.,” a resident of Suwayda city, said she once returned without getting bread after a quarrel over the queue developed into people pulling out weapons, forcing her to take her daughter and leave for fear of being hit by stray bullets.
She described the security reality in the governorate as “fragile,” where any minor friction can turn into an armed confrontation.
Another woman added that attending social occasions has also become worrying for her, because “in one moment, joy can turn into mourning,” as she put it.
In April, the assault on the Directorate of Education and random shooting in front of the building stood out as “the most humiliating incident,” as one employee described it, because it targeted an educational institution that is supposed to remain outside tensions and disputes.
After the incident, the “Internal Security” leadership affiliated with the “National Guard” announced that it had begun legal and security measures after several employees went to file official complaints, confirming that it was pursuing those involved in the incident.
Amid the presence of local forces in the governorate, represented by “Internal Security,” the issue of controlling weapons and pursuing those involved in killing incidents remains the subject of criticism from residents, who see an absence of measures that would limit their recurrence.
20 Violent Incidents in 2026
Since the beginning of the year and until the report was prepared, Enab Baladi’s correspondent documented no fewer than 20 violent incidents, some of which caused deaths or serious injuries.
A lawyer told Enab Baladi that deteriorating living and social conditions may push some individuals, in some cases, toward illegal behavior or toward resorting to violence as a means of survival.
Civil activist “Salam Kh.” said the ease with which weapons and explosive materials spread among civilians, especially among younger age groups, reflects negligence and weak community oversight in the absence of firm measures or effective awareness campaigns.
Weak oversight of the sources selling these materials also contributes to complicating the scene and expanding the scale of the problem. Local data indicate an increase in their circulation outside official frameworks, whether through some shops or through social media platforms, without any oversight of the seller or buyer. This increases the difficulty of limiting the growing phenomenon and doubles the likelihood of similar incidents occurring continuously, especially among children and teenagers.
In addition, the impact of previous tensions that developed after the July 2025 events on the current reality cannot be ignored, as the spread of multiple uncontrolled local factions has contributed to weakening institutions and creating an unstable environment.
In the absence of clear indicators of imminent improvement, fears remain that this escalation will continue, especially with the multiplicity of violence patterns and their widening scope, threatening civilian safety and deepening anxiety in the local community.
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