Shafaq News– Damascus
Syria experienced one of its deadliest
periods in 2025, with thousands of civilians killed in mass killings, field
executions, and other security violations across several regions, according to
the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Massacres and Field Executions
SOHR said its field documentation shows
“an unprecedented escalation in collective massacres and liquidation operations
targeting civilians amid an almost complete absence of accountability or
effective protection mechanisms.” The killings were recorded between March 6
and November 24 and were reported across the Syrian coast and its mountainous
areas, the Damascus countryside, and Suwayda province.
According to SOHR, at least 2,691
civilians were documented by name as killed during this period in 63 massacres
in the provinces of Latakia, Suwayda, Tartus, Hama, and Homs, in addition to
deadly incidents in Sahnaya, Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, and Jaramana.
In Suwayda alone, the watchdog recorded
990 civilian deaths in 2025. Among them were 162 civilians, including 21
children and 51 women.
At least 20 medical staff from Sweida
National Hospital were also among those “executed in the field by gunfire from
members of the Ministries of Defense and Interior.”
These incidents, the organization said,
were accompanied by collective field executions carried out by factions
affiliated with Syria’s transitional government forces, signaling “a highly
dangerous phase of security breakdown and violations of civilian protection
rules.”
Explosive Remnants of War
Since the start of 2025, the organization
documented 599 civilian deaths caused by unexploded ordnance, including 192
children and 41 women, across areas controlled by the Syrian government, the
Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration, and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army.
In government-controlled areas, 467
civilians were killed, including 146 children and 23 women. SOHR said eight
victims died while collecting truffles, including a woman and a child. In areas
under the Autonomous Administration, 39 civilians were killed, including 19
children and four women. In areas controlled by the Syrian National Army, 93
civilians died, including 27 children and 14 women.
Global Coalition Operations Against ISIS
SOHR also documented continued operations
by the US-led international coalition against the ISIS group during 2025.
According to the Observatory, coalition forces carried out 79 security
operations in areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces, resulting in
the arrest of 203 Islamic State members and cells, including senior figures.
The operations also led to the killing of
more than 14 ISIS members, including commanders, SOHR said, highlighting the
ongoing security threat posed by the group and the need for coordinated
international and regional efforts to protect civilians and uphold
international humanitarian law.
Israeli Ground Violations in Southern
Syria
SOHR reported a marked escalation in
Israeli military activity in southern Syria during 2025, with repeated ground
incursions into Quneitra and Daraa provinces. According to the Observatory,
these operations targeted civilians and infrastructure, increasing risks to
human security and local stability.
While the incursions began at a limited
pace early in the year, SOHR said they intensified toward the end of 2025, with
more than 90 ground operations recorded in November alone, “in the absence of
any official or international deterrent.”
The incursions included ground raids,
temporary checkpoints, house and farm searches, civilian arrests, land
clearing, and strikes on military and strategic sites using drones and armored
patrols.
SOHR said these actions fueled security
tensions, disrupted water and electricity networks, and prompted local
rejection of any form of Israeli assistance, reflecting widespread fear and
uncertainty among residents.
Since the start of 2025, the Observatory
said it documented 460 Israeli ground violations in southern Syria.
Deaths Under Torture
SOHR also reported that 61 civilians died
under torture over the course of the year in various regions of the country.
“These incidents highlight the continued
grave violations against human life and dignity,” SOHR said, adding that
victims were subjected to harsh conditions that led to their deaths, reflecting
the scale of humanitarian suffering amid ongoing conflict and widespread abuse.
