Suwayda governor Mustafa al-Bakour said on Friday, October 17, 2025, that the province has begun implementing a plan to repair homes damaged by vandalism in the western countryside of Suwayda (southern Syria).

He told the state-run al-Ikhbariyah channel that work is proceeding slowly due to a shortage of crews and labor, in addition to some residents not contacting the governorate to prepare their houses for rehabilitation.

Al-Bakour said local armed factions in Suwayda are preventing residents from returning to their homes, alleging the motive is financial gain that would end once people resettle. He added that the governorate is ready to receive residents who decide to return.

According to the governor, about 30 villages in Suwayda’s western countryside experienced looting and arson that targeted homes and shops, displacing residents toward southern parts of the governorate or to neighboring Daraa and Damascus. Activists circulated videos showing vandalism of civilian homes in western Suwayda, allegedly by individuals suspected of belonging to the military establishment or Internal Security.

Al-Bakour noted that the governorate is in daily contact with humanitarian organizations to arrange aid deliveries to Suwayda, but said weak coordination between provincial offices and the central government complicates some relief projects. Humanitarian convoys had reached the governorate via the Busr al-Sham and Busr al-Harir crossings (eastern Daraa, southern Syria), with the Damascus–Suwayda highway (southern Syria) recently added. A commercial convoy of 30 trucks carrying foodstuffs, vegetables, building materials, and fuel entered via the Damascus–Suwayda road on October 14.

“Suwayda Is One of Us” campaign

“The Suwayda Is One of Us” campaign concluded on October 12 with pledges totaling 14.6 million US dollars, according to the governorate. Al-Bakour previously told  al-Ikhbariyah that the campaign will cover repairs to water wells, 50 schools, 35 mosques, and 50 Druze houses of worship, plus 15 churches, as part of an effort to bolster basic services for all communities. He added the plan also includes rehabilitating about 20,000 homes, 40 municipalities, cultural centers, streets, lighting and electricity networks, and equipping a listening station to strengthen public services. He argued Suwayda’s service degradation was not due to state neglect but to internal positions taken by local actors, saying the campaign aims to overcome these obstacles and improve living conditions.

Intermittent clashes

Cautious calm prevailed in Suwayda on Thursday, October 16, following clashes between government forces and local factions aligned with Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri. Enab Baladi’s correspondent reported that local factions attacked government forces from the “al-Mujabel” area near the villages of Walgha and Rima Hazem (western Suwayda countryside). The two sides exchanged fire for part of the evening before calm returned.

While local factions control the provincial center and parts of its countryside, government forces control Suwayda’s western countryside.

Timeline of Suwayda events

The latest Suwayda crisis began on July 12 after mutual kidnappings between residents of the al-Maqous neighborhood in Suwayda city (with a majority of Bedouin residents) and members of the Druze community, escalating into armed clashes the next day.
The government intervened on July 14 to stop the fighting, but its entry was accompanied by violations against Druze civilians, prompting retaliation by local factions, including groups that had previously cooperated with the Defense and Interior ministries.
On July 16, government forces withdrew from Suwayda after Israeli strikes, followed by violations and reprisals against Bedouin residents, which led to tribal support convoys entering in their defense.
Subsequently, the Syrian government and Israel reached a US-mediated agreement to halt military operations.