An armed attack targeting the “Free Will” conference in Suwayda (southern Syria), which brought together political activists, has triggered broad controversy amid conflicting accounts about the identity of the assailants and the nature of the abuses that accompanied the incident.
According to its preparatory committee, the conference aims to form a political body to organize administrative and political life in the governorate.
The attack, which took place on 20 January, was followed by accusations against “National Guard” forces affiliated with the Druze community’s spiritual leader, Hikmat al-Hijri.
Governor blames “outlaw gangs”
Suwayda Governor Mustafa al-Bakour said what happened at the conference was not an isolated incident, but rather “a new episode in the series of repression and breaking the will of Suwayda’s free people,” as he put it.
In a statement published on the governorate’s official channels today, Thursday, 22 January, he said that what he described as “outlaw gangs in Suwayda are working to obstruct every solution, they fear stability because it exposes their history of looting and profiteering at the expense of the country.”
He added that “these gangs fight every initiative or attempt at reform.”
Local sources dispute kidnapping claims
Two local sources in the city, one of whom attended the conference and another who said he was familiar with the matter, told Enab Baladi that the attack targeted the “Free Administration” conference, carried out by unknown armed individuals, some of whom were wearing “National Guard” uniforms.
The sources said the attack resulted in property damage and the beating of some attendees. They estimated attendance at about 70 people. Both sources denied that any arrests took place as a result of the attack.
They said the session had been discussing the political and organizational situation in the city, and the possibility of opening negotiations with the Syrian government, which they said fueled anger and resentment among the attackers because of violations committed by Syrian government forces when they entered Suwayda in July 2025.
Governorate media office says attendees were abducted
The Media Relations Office at Suwayda Governorate’s Directorate of Media told Enab Baladi that an armed group affiliated with the “National Guard” targeted the Golden Hall at al-Amer Hotel on the Qanawat road in Suwayda city, where the “Free Will” conference was being held.
The directorate said the attackers abducted a number of attendees, in addition to damaging property and assaulting participants.
Suwayda 24, a local network active in the city, reported that the armed men who attacked the conference detained several invitees among the roughly 70 attendees, without any serious injuries recorded.
According to the network’s sources, the assailants stormed the hall during the sessions, causing chaos and panic among participants.
Conference organizers deny arrests and National Guard involvement
For its part, the “Free Will” conference in Suwayda issued a statement on Wednesday, 21 January, saying there were no injuries or arrests during the attack, and that “National Guard” forces did not take part in the raid.
The statement said an unarmed group stormed the meeting for reasons the organizers said they did not understand, verbally insulted attendees, and smashed tables, without assaulting those present, contradicting the two local sources and the governorate media office’s account to Enab Baladi.
The statement said the consultative meeting included about 40 political currents, along with a number of community figures and several labor unions, and that participants delivered “important” interventions aimed at advancing the country and contributing to organizing political and administrative life in Suwayda.
It added that “the interventions did not include, as some attackers claimed, phrases that influence public opinion or violate general principles and Druze moral values we were raised on.”
What is the “Free Will” initiative?
The “Free Will” conference is an initiative launched in November 2025 by a group of Suwayda residents, including political and civil activists, intellectuals, artists, and writers.
The initiative aims to form a political council to organize political, administrative, and economic life and to strengthen civil society in Suwayda.
On 13 January, the preparatory committee said it was continuing its work toward forming a political body to organize administrative and political life in the governorate. It added that its goals include helping meet people’s basic living needs, working to ensure the return of the abducted, the return of “seized” villages, and reactivating institutions that drive the local economy and serces.
Previous tensions and an alleged coup attempt
Suwayda city saw security tensions in late November 2025, following an arrest campaign that targeted figures opposed to the Druze spiritual leader, Hikmat al-Hijri.
At the time, Enab Baladi’s correspondent reported that “National Guard” forces backed by al-Hijri carried out arrests on 28 November 2025 targeting several people in the governorate, including Druze sheikhs Raed al-Matni and Marwan Rizq, as well as Asim Abu Fakhr, Ghandi Abu Fakhr, Maher Falhout, and another person from the al-Safadi family.
Sheikhs Maher Falhout and Raed al-Matni died a day after their arrest, after being tortured.
Videos circulated on social media, shared by activists, showing torture and humiliation of Sheikh al-Matni, including the shaving of his mustache and verbal abuse.
Suwayda 24 reported that the “National Guard” deployed at main entrances and roads in parallel with the arrest campaign.
After the July 2025 events in Suwayda
The “National Guard” is a military body announced on 23 August 2025, with al-Hijri’s blessing, and includes factions operating in Suwayda.
Its formation came after more than a month of tensions in the governorate between local factions in Suwayda on one side, and Syrian government forces and Bedouin tribes on the other.
The Suwayda events began on 12 July 2025 after mutual kidnappings between residents of the al-Maqwas neighborhood in Suwayda, which has a Bedouin majority, and members of the Druze community. The next day, the situation escalated into reciprocal clashes.
The Syrian government intervened on 14 July to end the conflict, but its intervention was accompanied by violations against Druze civilians, prompting local factions to respond, including factions that had been cooperating with the Ministries of Defense and Interior.
On 16 July, government forces withdrew from Suwayda after coming under Israeli strikes. This was followed by violations and retaliatory acts against Bedouin residents in the governorate, which in turn led to the dispatch of military convoys described as “tribal reinforcements” in support of them.
After that, the Syrian government and Israel reached an agreement mediated by the United States to halt military operations.
What are the details of the attack on the “Free Will” conference in Suwayda? Enab Baladi.
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