ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - “It was like watching a horror film,” said Wefaa Jarmaqani, an American citizen who was visiting family in Syria’s Suwayda province when clashes broke out earlier this month between armed Druze groups and Bedouin tribes.
In nine days of clashes, 1,386 people were killed, including 386 civilians and 238 people who were “extrajudicially executed by members of the ministries of defence and interior,” according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
“It was one of the most terrifying experiences I have ever experienced in my whole 63 years of life,” said Jarmaqani.
She emigrated to the United States in 1975. On May 10, 2025, recently retired from her job, she traveled to Suwayda to spend a few months with her family.
The clashes broke out on July 12. Two days later, the Syrian government deployed forces to the province to quell the spreading violence. Israel intervened on behalf of the Druze, carrying out airstrikes on Syrian military positions and the defence ministry in Damascus.
Jarmaqani was staying at the home of her sister in a town close to Suwayda city. On the morning of July 13, her sister woke her saying they had to flee. They went to the home of family in the city, feeling it would be safer for everyone to be together.
“The sound of shelling, the sound of chaos, the feel of fear was everywhere,” she said.
In the city, Jarmaqani saw children as young as 12, including her nephew, carrying arms to protect their families. “It was very uneasy, very uneasy to see how people, men, young adults, teenagers were protecting their neighbourhood, their families,” she said.
There were frequent explosions and shelling, and Jarmaqani said they were constantly running down into the basement for safety.
“My nephew and his friend were protecting us by checking outside, when they were targeted. They were spotted and they were targeted,” she said.
Two missiles hit very close to their building and her nephew’s wife fainted in fear.
“So we were trying to wake her up when all of a sudden things start flying off the kitchen counters and lots of, lots of destruction. A missile had just hit their neighbour’s across the street, about 50 metres away. The aim were my nephew and the group that was protecting us. After that, we had to flee to another town. It was very disturbing,” she said.
“We smelled death as we were fleeing Suwayda. You could smell the stench of dead bodies,” she said, her face grimacing with the pain of the memory. “It was like watching a horror film. It was very scary.”
A first ceasefire, with US mediation, was reached and on July 16 interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced he was pulling Syrian forces out of the province. That truce agreement failed to end the clashes. It did not provide for the protection of civilians or access to humanitarian aid, nor were Bedouin representatives included in the negotiations, according to Human Rights Watch.
A second ceasefire was announced on July 19 that included opening humanitarian corridors into Suwayda and deploying state security forces to de-escalate and secure key routes. It has brought an uneasy calm to the province.
At least 145,600 people were displaced by the violence, according to the United Nations. Humanitarian conditions have continued to deteriorate even after the truce with electricity, water, fuel, and telecommunications widely unavailable.
“Food insecurity is deepening, as bakeries have ceased operations due to shortages of flour and fuel, and essential food items are largely absent from local markets. Only a few shops remain open, often with long queues for limited goods. Critical shortages of clean water, hygiene kits, sanitary pads, and baby supplies have been reported. Many displaced families lack basic items such as mattresses and blankets, underscoring the urgent need for multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance,” the UN’s humanitarian agency said in its latest report.
All sides in the conflict have been implicated in the many abuses that took place in Suwayda, according to Human Rights Watch.
Jarmaqani said they were receiving news over Facebook of people being executed in public squares, beheaded, and gunned down. She paused her story and covered her face with her hands, overwhelmed by the horrible violence and its futility.
“I really don’t know how to say this, but it was so uncalled for. We’re all from the same country and we’re all humans and we all deserve a decent life,” she said.
Hussein Omar contributed to this article.
