Syrian journalist kidnapped by National Guard militia in Sweida

Syrian journalist Murhaf al-Shaer was abducted on January 6 by the so-called National Guard militia in Sweida after being shot and wounded in the southern Syrian province.

In a statement to SANA, Qutaiba Azzam, a media official in Sweida, strongly condemned the incident, placing full responsibility on the militia for al-Shaer’s safety and calling for his immediate release.

Local sources reported that al-Shaer had previously received threats due to his political views. He is the brother of activist and poet Anwar Fawzat al-Shaer, who was assassinated by unknown gunmen in eastern Sweida province in December 2025.

Local sources said that outlaw groups called the “National Guard,” linked to Hikmat al-Hijri, were behind the assassination due to the poet’s criticism of these militias and their practices.

Medical sources indicated that the poet arrived at the National Hospital in Sweida city already deceased, having sustained three gunshot wounds, one of them in the head.

By Vafa Guliyeva