Syria’s interior ministry on Monday said it would hold accountable those responsible for the apparent killing of an unarmed man at a hospital during violence last month in Druze-majority Sweida province, after a purported video of the incident emerged.
“We condemn and denounce this act in the strongest terms and affirm that the perpetrators will be held accountable and brought to justice... whatever their affiliation,” the ministry said in a statement.
A week of bloodshed began on July 13 with clashes between local Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes, but the violence rapidly escalated as it drew in outside forces.
The video was widely circulated on social media and has been reported to be from the hospital’s surveillance footage.
Forces in military garb are seen shooting dead a man who was identified as an engineer volunteering with the hospital team after a brief scuffle, as a group of people dressed as healthcare workers are crouched on the floor.
Another man seen in the video told AFP that the incident took place on July 16.
The interior ministry said it appointed an official “to directly oversee the progress of the investigation in order to ensure the culprits are found and arrested as soon as possible.”
Late last month, authorities announced the formation of a committee to investigate the Sweida violence, which should present its findings within three months.
Al Arabiya
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