The young man Maher Rafiq Makarem, a native of the village of Omrah in Suwayda Governorate in southern Syria, was killed on the evening of Tuesday, 23 December 2025, after contact was lost with him near the town of al-Mutuna, in the context of armed clashes that broke out in the area, according to local sources.
The town of al-Mutuna, located in Suwayda Governorate, witnessed on the aforementioned Tuesday evening a violent armed clash between groups from the National Guard and forces affiliated with the “General Security” of the temporary authority “Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.” These clashes resulted in the killing of Maher Rafiq Makarem, who belongs to the Druze sect. Local sources stated that the victim was affiliated with the National Guard forces.
Continued violations of the ceasefire by General Security elements and tribal groups were also recorded, according to circulating information.
This incident comes amid escalating tension between the National Guard in Suwayda and the security apparatuses affiliated with the authority, against the backdrop of demands by a broad segment of the governorate’s residents for an independent local administration that takes into account the region’s particularity and history.
In a related context, Suwayda Governorate witnessed one day earlier, on Monday, 22 December 2025, another violent incident represented by the killing of two young men from the Druze sect in the town of Atil in the Suwayda countryside, as a result of shelling that targeted the town. The two victims are Hamada al-Khatib and Qais al-Zarouni. Information circulated via accounts loyal to the temporary authority indicated that the two young men were armed, with reference to their affiliation with the “National Guard forces.”
According to the available information, the town of Atil was targeted with mortar shells described as indiscriminate, leading to the killing of the two young men, in addition to the injury of a number of civilians and damage to private property within the town. This was also accompanied by clashes on several fronts between groups from the National Guard and forces of the temporary authority, during which elements of the temporary authority’s forces were killed and others injured.
These incidents fall within a broader context of escalating violence in Suwayda Governorate, which witnessed in July 2025 a dangerous wave of violations, including killings, kidnappings, and assaults against civilians, following an attack carried out by forces of the temporary authorities affiliated with “Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.” Those events contributed to deepening the fears of local residents, particularly members of the Druze sect, regarding the continued deterioration of the security situation and the recurrence of violations against civilians.
