Sectarian Violence Claims 13 Lives Near Damascus, Syria's Capital

The authorities in Syria have pledged to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the skirmishes that reportedly resulted in 13 fatalities in a town close to the capital, Damascus, which is predominantly inhabited by the nation’s Druze community.
The Ministry of Interior stated on Tuesday that it would seek out individuals responsible for the sectarian violence.
The new leaders of Syria, former rebels who toppled long-time leader Bashar al-Assad in December, have found it challenging to ensure safety for the nation's minority groups, even as they advocate for national unity and inclusiveness.
The confrontations erupted suddenly following the circulation of an audio clip on social media platforms that criticized the Prophet Muhammad. This recording was reportedly linked to a Druze figurehead.
Assailants from the neighboring town of Maliha and other mainly Sunni regions descended upon the largely Druze town of Jaramana.
The Interior Ministry stated that there were casualties after "periodic skirmishes involving multiple armed factions." They also mentioned that the security forces intervened "to halt the fighting and ensure the safety of the local population."
"We express our strong determination to track down those responsible and ensure they face accountability," the statement read.
According to ministry spokesperson Mustafa al-Abdo, among those who died were two individuals from Syria’s General Security Service, which is a newly formed security unit largely made up of ex-rebels.
Six Druze combatants from Jaramana and three "assailants" also lost their lives, as reported by the UK-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
A statement from the Druze community in Jaramana rejected the "unwarranted armed assault" and criticized the audio clip, asserting it was manufactured "to provoke discord and create divisions within the same national group."
“I categorically deny that the audio was made by me,” Druze leader Marwan Kiwan said in the video statement. “I did not say that, and whoever made it is an evil man who wants to incite strife between components of the Syrian people.”
The Interior Ministry mentioned they were looking into the source of the voice recording and asked everyone to remain tranquil.
Bloodshed
The conflict only amplifies the sectarian strain in Syria, where minority groups are already on high alert after the gruesome violence from the previous month.
Following clashes between Assad supporters from the Alawite sect and security forces in March, a surge of retaliatory assaults led to the deaths of hundreds of individuals in the northern regions of Tartous and Latakia provinces.
The roughly 14-year-long civil war that led to Assad's downfall divided the nation into different areas of control. The Druze, an Arabic minority following a faith rooted in Islam but distinct from it, fortified themselves to protect their people.
The new leadership in Damascus has called for all arms to fall under their authority, but Druze fighters have resisted, saying Damascus has failed to guarantee their protection from hostile armed groups.
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