Syria’s Justice Ministry announced on Thursday the formation of a judicial committee to investigate last month’s deadly clashes in Suwayda province, where reports indicate more than 1,300 people were killed.

Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais, in a video statement, said the committee was established with “judicial and legal expertise to investigate the circumstances of the recent events and refer those involved to the judiciary.” He emphasized its goal was to safeguard citizens’ rights and protect national unity and civil peace.

According to an official decree, the seven-member committee includes four judges, two lawyers, and a brigadier general. It is expected to provide periodic updates, with a final report due within three months.

The violence erupted on July 13 between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes in Suwayda before escalating with the involvement of Syrian government forces and Israeli airstrikes. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported at least 1,300 fatalities before a US-brokered ceasefire took effect.

State media SANA reported that the committee’s mandate includes uncovering the causes of the violence, investigating alleged attacks and rights violations, and prosecuting suspects.

At a UN Security Council session on Monday, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen urged “major course corrections” in Syria’s political and security strategies following the bloodshed. He confirmed that government forces sent to de-escalate the clashes were “attacked” by Druze groups but also cited “extremely grave reports of serious violations by security forces against Druze civilians.”

Pedersen detailed documented abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture, corpse desecration, looting, and property destruction. He estimated hundreds of casualties among security forces, Druze fighters, and civilians, with around 175,000 people displaced. A fragile ceasefire remains in place.

The Suwayda investigation mirrors a committee formed in March after clashes in Syria’s coastal provinces—Tartus, Latakia, and Hama—home to a majority Alawite population. Armed groups, many loyal to ousted President Bashar al-Assad (an Alawite), attacked government-aligned forces, prompting a violent response from Damascus.

According to SOHR, at least 1,700 people were killed in those clashes, mostly Alawite civilians, with many deaths blamed on government forces.

In July, the coastal committee’s spokesperson, Yasser al-Farhan, said nearly 300 suspects had been identified for crimes including murder, looting, torture, and sectarian incitement. The committee confirmed 1,426 deaths, mostly civilians, including 90 women, along with 238 military and security personnel.