The Syrian Ministry of Interior Announces the Opening of an Urgent Investigation into the Incident of the Killing of a Paramedic at Al-Suwayda Hospital

The Syrian Ministry of Interior announced early this Monday the opening of an urgent and comprehensive investigation into the horrific incident that occurred at Al-Suwayda National Hospital, following the circulation of a video showing armed men killing a volunteer paramedic inside the medical facility.

In an official statement, the ministry confirmed that it had followed the "painful video circulating on social media, which was indicated to have been filmed inside the national hospital in Al-Suwayda earlier." It expressed its strong condemnation of the incident, noting that "this act is condemned in the strongest terms, and the perpetrators will be held accountable and referred to the judiciary to receive their just punishment, regardless of their affiliations."

The ministry revealed that Major General Abdul Qadir Al-Tahan, the assistant for security affairs, has been tasked with direct supervision of the investigation proceedings, in order to ensure the swift identification and arrest of the perpetrators. The statement read: "Major General Al-Tahan has been assigned to personally follow up on the case to ensure that those involved are referred to the judiciary without delay."

This security measure comes after footage captured by surveillance cameras at the hospital on July 16 showed armed men—some of whom were wearing military uniforms—assaulting medical staff before opening fire on one of the volunteers and dragging him away after he was injured.

It is worth mentioning that Al-Suwayda Governorate has recently witnessed security tensions, including clashes between local components, prompting the authorities to intervene to contain the situation. The Ministry of Interior continues to follow up on the investigations, while human rights organizations are calling for independent oversight of the results.