Coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the events in As-Suwayda Governorate, the spiritual leader of the Druze community, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, made striking remarks on Monday regarding the future trajectory of the governorate, reiterating his commitment to the proposal of 'independence' and suggesting the possibility of the governorate coming under international protection or merging into another political entity.

These positions come at a time when the repercussions of the security unrest experienced by the region last year continue to cast a shadow over the social and political fabric of the governorate.

In contrast, a local resident in As-Suwayda who opposes al-Hijri's views expressed his dissatisfaction with these statements, emphasizing the residents' adherence to their Syrian identity despite the harsh challenges they are enduring.

He added to Asharq Al-Awsat: 'It is well known that Israel and Jordan do not hold this orientation; Israel has explicitly stated through more than one official that it does not support the issue of As-Suwayda's secession,' adding that the general mood and the majority of residents 'will not abandon their Syrian identity.'

Sheikh of the Druze Monotheist faith, Hikmat al-Hijri, said in a speech marking the anniversary of the July 2025 events that As-Suwayda Governorate could be under the care of another state in the future or join another state, reiterating his proposal regarding the governorate's future. pic.twitter.com/WLctBtgXNW

— EekadFacts | إيكاد (@EekadFacts) July 13, 2026

Areas controlled by al-Hijri in As-Suwayda have been witnessing gatherings for several days to commemorate the first anniversary of the As-Suwayda events that took place in mid-July last year, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Bedouin residents, local Druze militia fighters, civilians, and army and security personnel.

The same source noted that the crowds present at the commemoration activities include diverse segments of residents who paid a heavy price due to the conflicts in terms of victims, injured, and displaced persons, confirming that this participation expresses solidarity with the gravity of the tragedy and does not contain any separatist political agendas.

Al-Hijri had met on Sunday with a delegation from the Shahba city operations room affiliated with what is known as the 'National Guard' in the town of Qanawat, coinciding with the anniversary of the July 2025 events.

According to a video recording published by numerous platforms, al-Hijri confirmed that 'the goal is independence (for the State of Bashan),' and that this could be achieved through establishing an independent state, or a region under the care of another state, or merging with another state, 'according to what the interest of the region's people requires,' as he put it.

Fighters loyal to Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri during a patrol in As-Suwayda (Archive - AFP)

Al-Hijri also expressed his thanks to Israel, considering that it stood by As-Suwayda, noting its geographical proximity in the context of his praise for its positions during the past periods.

For its part, As-Suwayda Governorate published a statement on the anniversary of the As-Suwayda events, beginning by saying: 'The anniversary of the July events passes, carrying in memory a pain that left its mark on the souls of the people of As-Suwayda Governorate, and in the conscience of Syrians in general, after those events claimed innocent lives and left losses and pains that are still present in the conscience of society.'

For her part, Maysaa al-Abdullah, a resident of As-Suwayda city, mentioned that the governorate has been living in 'a state of sadness and pain for the victims we lost' since the beginning of this July.

Al-Abdullah told Asharq Al-Awsat that despite a year having passed since the events, 'residents are still displaced from their villages, there are 135 missing persons whose fate is unknown, and there are detainees in Adra prison in the Damascus countryside even though they are civilians,' accusing the authorities and the governorate of indifference. In this context, she noted the continuing crisis of students in the secondary and middle school certificate examinations, as only a very small percentage of the 14,000 students were able to take the exams.

Inspection tour by the Head of Internal Security in As-Suwayda, Brigadier General Hussam al-Tahan, near points that witnessed attempted attacks on internal security sites on July 5 (Facebook account)

The speaker added that 'to this moment, the majority of the residents hold on to their Syrian and Arab national identity, but the authority is pushing the residents in the direction of rejecting the idea of a Syrian identity,' according to her.

Aerial view of As-Suwayda city during the clashes in July 2025 (DPA)

On the other hand, the Security Director of As-Suwayda city, Suleiman Abdel-Baqi, stated on his Facebook account that preliminary investigations into a vehicle explosion on the Damascus-As-Suwayda road on Sunday showed that the explosion occurred from inside the car, denying any indications of it being subjected to gunfire or targeting from the outside.

Abdel-Baqi explained that the criminal investigation teams did not detect any traces of gunfire or damage resulting from external targeting of the vehicle, pointing out that the initial results of the investigation indicate that Mamoun Talal Kahal, who belongs to the so-called 'National Guard militia,' was attempting to plant an explosive device on the Damascus-As-Suwayda road before it exploded inside his vehicle.

An explosion claims the life of a driver on the Damascus-As-Suwayda road and the authorities open an investigation. As-Suwayda 24 obtained details and preliminary information from security sources and eyewitnesses regarding the explosion that occurred yesterday near the village of 'Buraq' located on the Damascus-As-Suwayda road, which resulted in the death of the car's driver. Sources reported that... pic.twitter.com/xb1ESOL3Zn

— السويداء 24 (@suwayda24) July 13, 2026

He added that witnesses working in the adjacent agricultural lands reported that the car was seen moving back and forth in the area located between the towns of Al-Soura al-Kabira and Buraq before the explosion occurred.

An explosion claims the life of a driver on the Damascus-As-Suwayda road and the authorities open an investigation. As-Suwayda 24 obtained details and preliminary information from security sources and eyewitnesses regarding the explosion that occurred yesterday near the village of 'Buraq' located on the Damascus-As-Suwayda road, which resulted in the death of the car's driver. Sources reported that... pic.twitter.com/xb1ESOL3Zn

— السويداء 24 (@suwayda24) July 13, 2026

Abdel-Baqi denied the accounts that spoke of the car being subjected to gunfire on the road, confirming that the preliminary investigations did not show anything to support those allegations, pointing out that the Damascus-As-Suwayda road did not witness any attacks on the same day, and that the number of travelers entering and leaving the governorate exceeded 2,230 people from As-Suwayda.

The As-Suwayda Security Director stressed that the preliminary investigation results, if confirmed, reveal the danger of these operations, emphasizing the need to deal 'firmly' with any attempts aimed at destabilizing the governorate's security or endangering the lives of civilians.

These statements stir widespread debate about al-Hijri's aspirations and the future of the governorate in light of the complex Syrian landscape. Observers will monitor local and regional reactions to this proposal, especially in light of the confirmation by informed sources that there is no international support for separatist projects in the region, which makes the political orientations in As-Suwayda the focus of everyone's attention in the coming phase.