Head of UNHCR office in Sweida wounded in armed clashes

Ali Bibi, head of the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in the Syrian city of Sweida and coordinator for southern Syria, has been wounded in armed clashes.

Ali Bibi, a Jordanian national, was injured when shrapnel struck his thigh during fighting between armed groups known as the “National Guard”, led by Hikmat al-Hijri.

He was first taken to the “Al-Tibb Al-Hadith” hospital in Sweida and was later transferred to Jordan to continue his treatment.

The clashes began on Saturday, 31 October, after a dispute at a petrol station and escalated into an armed confrontation in which heavy weapons were used. Tension between government forces and armed groups continues in Sweida province.

The “National Guard” led by Hikmat al-Hijri has repeatedly clashed with Syrian government forces over the past year. On the night of 31 August, one member of the “National Guard” was killed in fighting between Syria's Internal Security Forces and the group west of Sweida city. The Internal Security Command in Sweida said at the time that at least 10 security personnel were wounded in those clashes and that the group had attacked positions on the Tal Hadid and Walgha axes with mortars and heavy machine guns.

In July 2025, hundreds of people were killed in bloody clashes between Druze armed groups, Bedouin tribes and government forces in Sweida province, whose population is predominantly Druze.