(MENAFN) A prominent Druze religious leader in Syria’s southern Suwayda province was reportedly killed on Tuesday by an outlaw group, according to local media reports.

State-run sources indicated that Raed al-Matni, a cleric with significant social and religious influence in eastern Suwayda, was killed by members of the so-called “National Guard,” a faction linked to Druze leader Hikmat al-Hajri. The group accused Matni of collaborating with the Syrian government. His body was subsequently transferred to Suwayda National Hospital.

A video circulated on social media showing Matni being beaten during his arrest by Hijri’s forces on Sunday, fueling widespread outrage across Syria. Matni had previously been allied with Hijri, but a rift developed after the formation of the National Guard last July—a move Matni opposed—following a period of violence in the province.

Suwayda’s Druze community is represented by three religious authorities—Hikmat al-Hijri, Hammoud Yahya al-Hinnawi, and Yusuf Jarbou’—whose positions sometimes conflict. Hijri’s followers are a minority and are not broadly seen as representing the wider Druze population in the region.

The province has observed a ceasefire since July 19, following a week of clashes between Druze factions and Bedouin tribes that resulted in hundreds of casualties.

Since the ouster of long-time leader Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, Syria’s new administration under President Ahmad al-Sharaa has pursued security restoration, political and economic reforms, and efforts to promote social cohesion and regional cooperation. Assad fled to Russia in December 2024, ending the Baath Party’s decades-long rule.

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