Syrian security forces freed three abducted civilians during a targeted operation in the southern province of Suwayda, the Interior Ministry said Saturday, Jan. 24, amid ongoing concerns that the area has become a hub for kidnapping gangs and organized criminal activity.
In a Jan. 24 statement, the ministry said the Internal Security Command in Suwayda carried out the operation after completing surveillance, monitoring and intelligence gathering on what it described as an criminal group. The raid resulted in the release of Anwar Abdulatif Shuqair, Murad Ahmad Isa and Ali Muhammad Awad, according to the statement.
The ministry said security forces evacuated the three men safely from the city and returned them to their families. It described the operation as part of its legal and national duty to protect citizens and maintain public order, adding that it would not tolerate acts that threaten civilian safety or lives.
Suwayda’s Expanding Kidnapping Crisis
Kidnappings have surged in Suwayda since violent clashes and unrest erupted in July 2025, turning parts of the province into what residents and officials describe as a permissive environment for criminal networks. These groups include kidnapping rings, drug traffickers and armed factions, with authorities also accusing former Assad-era security elements and militant groups of exploiting the instability.
The Interior Ministry said criminal groups in Suwayda have targeted civilians, attacked security checkpoints and threatened religious figures, journalists and intellectuals in an effort to undermine stability.
Local factions, have accused the government of detaining civilians from the province. Damascus has denied holding kidnapped civilians and insists that armed groups bear responsibility for ongoing abductions. No comprehensive figures exist on the number of abductees held by all sides.
Hostages and Roadside Abductions
The Damascus-Suwayda highway has also seen a rise in abductions, often carried out to pressure rival groups into releasing detainees held inside the province, according to local reports. Among the most prominent missing persons is Hamza al-Amarin, a volunteer with the Syrian Civil Defense, who was abducted inside Suwayda while responding to emergency conditions in the city.
The Interior Ministry said Saturday that security leadership in the province will continue working “without hesitation” to free those kidnapped and return them safely to their families, stressing that operations will continue using all available means.
Fragile Calm After July Clashes
A ceasefire has largely held in Suwayda since last July, after clashes between Bedouin and Druze factions left hundreds dead or wounded. The government says it has adhered to the agreement, facilitated evacuations and allowed humanitarian aid to enter, while accusing armed groups of repeated violations. Syrian authorities have pledged to reassert control nationwide, insisting they will not allow armed groups or criminal networks to entrench themselves in any province.
