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Druze residents describe ‘bloodbath’ in Syrian city
AFPOver the last five days, Rima says she has witnessed “barbaric” scenes.
The 45-year-old Druze woman has lived in the southern Syrian city of Suweida her whole life, and never thought her once-peaceful hometown would become the scene of a bloodbath.
“There were bodies everywhere outside our building,” she told the BBC in a phone interview, using a pseudonym out of fear for her safety.
Rima said she huddled inside her home, bracing for the unimaginable, as gunmen – government forces and foreign fighters – moved through her neighbourhood earlier this week, going door-to-door looking for their next victim.
“One of the worst feelings ever is to keep waiting for people to come into your house and decide whether we should live or die,” she recalled, her voice still trembling with fear.
The violence has left Rima and her neighbours feeling abandoned and afraid in their own homes, as bullets and shells sounded off outside.
Long-running tensions between Druze and Bedouin tribes in Suweida erupted into deadly sectarian clashes on Sunday, following the abduction of a Druze merchant on the highway to the capital, Damascus.
As the fighting spread to other parts of the southern province, the government of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa – who led the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime by Islamist-led rebels in December – announced that it would deploy the interior and defence ministry’s forces to “restore stability”.
Since the fall of Assad, some local Druze leaders have rejected the presence of the security forces in Suweida city. When government forces were deployed on Tuesday, the fighting escalated.
Soon, the government’s forces were being accused of attacking both Druze fighters and civilians, which prompted the Israeli military to intervene with a series of air strikes that it said were intended to protect the Druze.
As Rima watched this play out, the lack of internet and power made it difficult to keep up with the unfolding events. All she knew for sure was what she could see from her window: slaughtered bodies and burned buildings.
Syrian state media have also cited authorities and Bedouin tribes as saying that “outlaw groups” carried out “massacres” and other crimes against Bedouin fighters and civilians.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, has said it has documented the killing of at least 594 people since Sunday, including 154 Druze civilians, of whom 83 were summarily killed by government forces, and three members of Bedouin tribes who were summarily killed by Druze fighters.
ReutersNayef, a Druze man whose name we have also changed, was also confronted with horrific scenes in Suweida.
“We are collecting bodies from the streets. We found bodies left outside houses, next to houses for two or three days,” he told the BBC in a phone interview.
Despite being a government employee, Nayef lashed out in disbelief at what he saw as the government forces’ brutality inside the city.
“They stormed neighbourhoods, selecting the houses that look wealthy. They looted these houses and then torched them. They sprayed unarmed civilians with bullets.”
Videos circulating on social media appeared to support Nayef’s allegations.
Footage shared on Facebook on Wednesday afternoon shows at least half-a-dozen men dressed in camouflage firing live rounds at a group of residents, who are kneeling on the sidewalk.
The UN human rights office said it had documented the killing of at least 13 people on Tuesday by armed men affiliated with the government who deliberately opened fire at a family gathering. On the same day, they reportedly summarily executed six men near their homes.
While bullets and shells rained down, Suweida residents were left wondering when help was coming.
But it never came.
Rima said she watched as security forces and foreign fighters entered her neighbourhood and later shot her neighbour in front of his mother.
“Is this the army and security forces who were supposed to come and protect us?” she asked. “People’s livelihoods were stolen. Those who were killed were young and unarmed.”
Other testimony we heard backed up Rima’s claim. Those we spoke to said most of the fighters who entered Suweida and attacked civilians appeared to be Islamists.
One woman heard the fighters shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest) in her building, calling the Druze “infidels” and “pigs”, and saying they were there to kill them.
Some of these fighters posted videos of themselves online humiliating men in Suweida, including cutting or shaving off the moustaches of Druze sheikhs. The moustaches are a symbol of Druze religious identity.
The BBC has approached the Syrian government for official comments on the issue but not so far received a response.
In a televised address early on Thursday, Sharaa vowed to hold the perpetrators accountable and promised to make protecting the Druze a “priority”.
“We are eager to hold accountable those who transgressed and abused our Druze people because they are under the protection and responsibility of the state,” he said.
He went on to blame “outlaw groups”, saying their leaders “rejected dialogue for many months”.
ReutersFor many, the promise of protection felt like déjà vu.
It resembled the message the president delivered when government forces and allied Islamist fighters carried out deadly reprisals against civilians from another religious minority, the Alawites, in response to attacks by Assad loyalists in the coastal region in March.
A committee was established to investigate those violations – but is yet to deliver any findings.
The accounts from Nayef and others bore many similarities to what happened on the coast in March.
“There’s a total lack of trust with the government,” Nayef said. “They are just doing a lip-service. They say nice things about freedoms, documenting violations and accountability, but they are all lies.”
Many Suweida residents say this latest episode of sectarian violence will have long-lasting effects.
“If it was not for Israel’s bombardment, we wouldn’t be able to talk to you today,” one woman told the BBC.
However, some were also critical of Israel’s airstrikes and its claim that it was acting to protect the Druze.
Nayef said: “Nobody wants Israel. We are patriotic people. We were at the forefront of people to adopt patriotism. Our loyalty and patriotism should not be doubted.”
Additional reporting by Samantha Granville in Beirut
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Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers Live Score and Stats – September 5, 2025 Gametracker
Justin Herbert threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns in outdueling Patrick Mahomes, and the Los Angeles Chargers beat Kansas City 27-21 on Friday night in Sao Paulo, snapping a seven-game skid to the Kansas City Chiefs.
“It’s monumental,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “September 5th will go down in some Charger lore, in my opinion. It was a big win.”
The NFL’s second game played in South America was streamed on YouTube, with Brazilian soccer superstar Neymar in attendance. Newly engaged pop superstar Taylor Swift wasn’t there to watch fiancé Travis Kelce and see Colombian singer Karol G perform at halftime.
Herbert became just the third quarterback in Chargers history with 300 yards and three TDs in a season opener. His 19-yard run on third-and-14 dashed any comeback hopes the Chiefs had with 2:21 to play. He finished 25 of 34 and was sacked three times.
“We knew it was going to be a dogfight, so we showed up today with our best effort,” Herbert said. “It was fun to see.”
Mahomes was 24 of 39 for 258 yards, one touchdown and two sacks.
Herbert’s 23-yard TD pass to Quentin Johnston extended the lead to 26-18 with 5:02 remaining in the fourth. They hooked up for a 5-yard TD on the Chargers’ opening drive of the game.
Chased by Khalil Mack, Mahomes threw incomplete to Marquise Brown on first-and-goal at the LA 9. Two more incomplete passes brought on Harrison Butker, whose 27-yard field goal cut the deficit to 27-21 with 2:34 remaining.
The Chiefs closed to 20-18 on Mahomes’ 37-yard TD pass to Kelce early in the fourth. The 2-point conversion failed as Mahomes’ pass was incomplete to Noah Gray.
The Chiefs were coming off their first TD drive in the third when they gave one right back to their AFC rivals. Herbert’s short left pass to Keenan Allen for 11 yards extended the Chargers’ lead to 19-12. Herbert and Allen had over 300 receptions together before Allen left for Chicago last season. He returned to Los Angeles last month.
The Chargers beat the Chiefs for the first time since Sept. 26, 2021, in Kansas City.
The Chiefs were already down two receivers to start the game, with Rashee Rice suspended to start the season and rookie Jalen Royals out with a knee injury.
They lost another one three snaps into the game.
Xavier Worthy and teammate Kelce collided on a third-down pass. Worthy had to be helped off the field and was later ruled out with a right shoulder injury.
Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman didn’t return after leaving with an ankle injury in the third.
The Chiefs host Philadelphia on Sept. 14 in a Super Bowl rematch.
The Chargers visit Las Vegas on Sept. 15 in the second of three straight against division rivals.
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The Chargers gave up a home game to open the season against the Chiefs in Brazil. Though they were 6,200 miles from home, playing in front of a large contingent of Chiefs fans, the Chargers made themselves right at home.
Justin Herbert threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns in a signature win, a 27-21 victory over the Chiefs.
After the Chiefs had closed to within 20-18 early in the fourth quarter, Herbert directed an 11-play, 74-yard drive that ate 7:02 off the clock. He went 8-for-8 for 73 yards on the 74-yard drive, throwing a 23-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston with 5:02 left. That put the Chargers up two scores.
Herbert went 25-of-34 for 318 yards and three touchdowns, but his biggest play came with his legs.
With the Chiefs out of timeouts with 2:14 left — and back within 27-21 — the Chargers faced a third-and-13 from their own 34. Herbert ran for 19 on a designed run before sliding down. That allowed the Chargers to run out the clock, keeping the ball away from Patrick Mahomes.
Herbert threw touchdown passes of 5 and 23 yards to Johnston, and Keenan Allen caught an 11-yarder. Nine different receivers caught a pass led by Johnston’s five catches for 79 yards.
The Chargers never trailed, but the Chiefs kept it interesting.
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, who made field goals of 35 and 59 yards, missed an extra point in the third quarter, and Teair Tart knocked away a Patrick Mahomes’ pass on a 2-point attempt. That’s how the Chiefs fell behind by two scores.
In the fourth quarter, with the Chiefs trailing 27-18, they faced a fourth-and-7 from the Kansas City 42. Mahomes was nearly sacked by Khalil Mack as he ran for his life. As he neared the sideline with Mack in hot pursuit, Mahomes heaved a ball downfield to Hollywood Brown, who got behind the defense for a 49-yard gain to the Los Angeles 9. It led to a 27-yard Butker field goal with 2:34 left.
That made it a one-score game again at 27-21.
The Chargers, though, stayed aggressive, trusting Herbert, and he delivered one of the biggest victories of his career.
The Chargers outgained the Chiefs 394 to 347.
Mahomes was 24-of-39 for 258 yards and a touchdown, a 37-yarder to Travis Kelce. Mahomes also ran for 57 yards, and an 11-yard touchdown, on six carries. Brown caught 10 passes for 99 yards.
The Chiefs lost wide receiver Xavier Worthy to a shoulder injury on the third play from scrimmage.
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US Navy SEALs killed North Korean civilians during botched mission: Report | Kim Jong Un News
US Navy SEALs killed several North Korean fishermen after encountering them by accident during a botched mission, US news outlet reports.
Published On 6 Sep 2025
United States Navy SEALs shot and killed several North Korean civilians during a botched mission in 2019 to plant a listening device in the nuclear-armed country, reportedly approved by US President Donald Trump, a leading US news outlet reports.
The New York Times reported on Friday that the classified mission was carried out by the US Navy’s SEAL Team 6 during high-stakes diplomatic negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang in early 2019.
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The elite special forces unit – the same one that killed former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011 – was tasked with covertly going ashore in North Korea and planting a listening device to spy on the country’s leadership.
But working in the dead of night with blackout communications, a series of errors led to civilians – several North Koreans reportedly diving for shellfish – inadvertently coming across the US special forces as they splashed ashore.
The SEALs opened fire, killing all those on board a small fishing vessel, the Times report said, without specifying the number of casualties.
Officials familiar with the mission told the Times that the US soldiers “pulled the bodies into the water to hide them from the North Korean authorities”. One source described how SEAL members “punctured the boat crew’s lungs with knives to make sure their bodies would sink”.
The Times said it gained knowledge of the botched mission through interviews with dozens of people, “including civilian government officials, members of the first Trump administration and current and former military personnel with knowledge of the mission”.
All spoke on condition of anonymity due to the mission’s classified status, the news outlet said. It added that several people said their decision to provide details was out of concern that the US military’s special operations failures are “often hidden by government secrecy”.
Sources said President Trump, during his first term in office, gave the mission its final go-ahead.
Trump denied any knowledge of the operations when questioned by reporters about the report on Friday.
“I could look, but I know nothing about [it],” Trump said.
“I’m hearing it now for the first time,” he said.
US officials said it was “unclear” whether Pyongyang ever pieced together what had happened in 2019.
North Korea did not make any public statements about the deaths of civilians at the time and has yet to comment on the story published by the Times.
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