Damascus: A disturbing video is circulating on social media showing armed men forcing Syrian hospital staff to kneel and brutally executing one individual who resisted.
An undated video released by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and reported by Russian state-controlled media RT depicts hospital employees being executed by fighters loyal to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s government.
Filmed inside Sweida National Hospital, the footage shows a large group of medical workers in hospital uniforms kneeling under gunpoint, surrounded by armed men identified by SOHR as members of the Syrian Defence and Interior Ministries. After one detainee is slapped across the face, he appears to push back and is immediately shot twice at point-blank range. The video then shows further gunfire, with multiple victims falling to the ground.
The footage, believed to come from security cameras inside the hospital in the conflict-ridden southern city of Sweida, was also released by the activist group Suwayda 24. Dated July 16, it was recorded amid violent clashes between Druze militias, Bedouin tribal fighters, and government forces.
In the video, several people in scrubs kneel while armed men in military attire surround them. At one point, a man is grabbed and struck on the head as the gunmen attempt to detain him. He struggles briefly but is shot first with an assault rifle and then fatally with a pistol by another attacker. A figure in a dark uniform labeled “Internal Security Forces” appears to direct the armed men into the hospital. Additionally, a tank can be seen stationed outside the facility.
Local activist groups claim the attackers are members of Syrian military and security forces. However, a Syrian government official, speaking anonymously, said authorities have yet to determine whether the perpetrators are government personnel or tribal fighters. The official confirmed that an investigation is ongoing, as per local media reports.
In an official statement via the Syrian Arab News Agency, the Interior Ministry said Deputy Minister of Interior for Security Affairs Maj. Gen. Abdul Qader Al-Tahhan has been assigned to oversee the inquiry.
The ministry condemned the act, pledging that those responsible will be identified, apprehended, and brought to justice regardless of affiliation.
This incident has further worsened relations between the Druze community and the Syrian government. The Druze, a minority nationally but the majority in Sweida, have been caught in escalating sectarian violence following clashes with armed Bedouin factions.
The government, led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, appears to assert control over the region and disarm local Druze groups, but tensions remain high.
