The National Guard, which is affiliated with Druze religious leader Hikmat al-Hijri in Suwayda (southern Syria), said the office of Basel Abu Fakhr, director of its Military Judiciary Administration, was targeted with two hand grenades while he was inside at about 2 a.m. on Monday, August 3.
The National Guard said in a statement that one grenade exploded behind an annex to the office, while the second landed behind the building without detonating. The attack caused only material damage.
A local source in Suwayda told Enab Baladi that unidentified people threw a hand grenade at the Military Judiciary Administration. No injuries were reported, and the damage was limited to property.
The National Guard did not accuse any specific party of carrying out the attack. It said the incident came “in the context of attempts to confuse the situation and exert overt pressure on the Judiciary Administration following the considerable efforts it has made in sensitive cases affecting the Mountain and its people.”
The incident came only two days after a rumor circulated about an attempt to assassinate the National Guard’s deputy commander following an ordinary traffic accident, according to the Guard’s statement. The group accused what it described as “hostile parties” of portraying the crash as deliberate as part of a disinformation campaign intended to “undermine trust between residents and their official institutions.”
Local factions led by the National Guard have controlled Suwayda governorate, while the Syrian government has administered limited parts of its countryside, since the security events that affected the governorate in July 2025.
A damaged window at the office of Military Judiciary Administration Director Basel Abu Fakhr after it was targeted with two hand grenades, August 3, 2026. (National Guard in Suwayda/Facebook)
20 Violent Incidents Since Start of 2026
Suwayda governorate has recently experienced widespread lawlessness and killings. Several killings have been recorded in different parts of the governorate, involving direct gunfire, criminal incidents resulting from personal disputes, attempted theft and the settling of scores.
In an earlier report, Enab Baladi documented at least 20 violent incidents from the beginning of 2026 through mid-May, some of which resulted in deaths or serious injuries.
A lawyer told Enab Baladi that deteriorating living and social conditions may, in some cases, drive individuals toward unlawful behavior or violence as a means of survival.
Civil society activist Salam K. said the widespread availability of weapons and explosive materials among civilians, particularly younger age groups, reflects neglect and weak community oversight amid the absence of firm measures or effective awareness campaigns.
Weak oversight of the sources selling such materials has further complicated the situation and expanded the scale of the problem. Local information indicates that their circulation outside official channels has increased, whether through some shops or social media platforms, without any oversight of sellers or buyers. This makes the growing phenomenon more difficult to contain and increases the likelihood of similar incidents recurring, particularly among children and adolescents.
The effects of earlier tensions that escalated following the events of July 2025 also continue to shape the current situation. The spread of multiple undisciplined local factions has weakened institutions and created an unstable environment.