Death toll in Syria's sectarian clashes rises to 56: War monitor

Rudaw Net

01-05-2025

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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The death toll from recent violence between Damascus-affiliated security forces and affiliated armed groups, and members of Syria's Druze community has reached 56, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Thursday.
According to SOHR, the casualties include 16 members of General Security, 10 militants from affiliated armed groups, and 30 members of the Druze community.
The war monitor noted that nine Druze individuals were 'executed in the field and some of their bodies were burned,' after falling into an ambush on the road between Damascus and the Druze-majority province of Suwayda.SOHR reported that the ambush was carried out by forces affiliated with Syria's defense and interior ministries, along with allied armed groups.
The war monitor also documented that 16 General Security personnel and eight Druze local fighters were killed in clashes in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, south of Damascus, on Wednesday. Earlier, on Tuesday, 10 government-affiliated fighters and seven Druze locals were also killed in the Jaramana district of southern Damascus.
The fighting was initially triggered by an audio recording that was allegedly blasphemous toward the Prophet Muhammad. Initially attributed to a prominent Druze cleric, the recording was later discredited by both the cleric and Syrian authorities.
Latest developments
As a cautious calm currently prevailed in all areas that were scenes of recent clashes, the situation remains highly volatile.
Suwayda24, an outlet dedicated to covering news from southern Syria's Druze-majority Suwayda province, reported on Thursday that 'local [Druze] tribes have foiled an attack by armed groups' in Suwayda's western countryside.
Earlier in the day, the outlet reported clashes against 'extremist groups' in Suwayda's western countryside that saw the use of 'mortar shells and heavy machine guns.' It added that that a widespread power outage had affected Suwayda, with no official explanation provided for the disruption.
A day prior, the state-run Syrian News Agency reported that the governors of Rif Dimashq and Suwayda and Druze 'dignitaries and social figures' had reached a 'preliminary agreement' to establish a ceasefire in both Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya.
SANA further cited Damascus-affiliated security officials as declaring the 'completion of the security operation in the Ashrafiyat Sahnaya area, and the deployment of General Security forces in the neighborhoods of the area to ensure the return of security and stability.'
However, Suwayda24 reported that the meeting concluded 'without a clear agreement, except for some non-binding points,' which included a full ceasefire and the formation of a joint committee to discuss the aftermath of the deadly clashes.
The outlet further quoted 'government officials' accusing "outlaw gangs" of attacking state security forces and 'killing 35 members.' They additionally called for the regulation and consolidation of arms under state authority in the Ashrafiyat Sahnaya area.
A senior Druze cleric from Syria's southern Suwayda province, Sheikh Yousef al-Jarbou, challenged the government's account, stating that 'the unrest began with a targeted attack on Jaramana and then spread to Ashrafiyat Sahnaya and eventually to Suwayda.'
Jarbou emphasized the growing crisis of trust between the government and the Druze community and condemned the repeated attacks on Druze civilians, urging an immediate cessation of such assaults to prevent further escalation and bloodshed.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Syrian Foreign Ministry firmly rejected 'all forms of foreign interference in the country's internal affairs,' calling the 'demands for international protection made by outlaw groups' both 'illegitimate and completely unacceptable.'
'Such actions pose a direct threat to the unity of the country and undermine national efforts aimed at restoring security and stability,' the ministry stated in a post on X.
The ministry also reaffirmed Damascus's 'commitment to protect all components of the Syrian people,' highlighting the 'integral role of the Druze community in the national fabric.'
It praised 'the role of Druze sheikhs in maintaining civil peace and quelling unrest,' while asserting that 'all national issues must be addressed exclusively through national mechanisms,' and stressing that 'the country's sovereignty is not subject to negotiation.'
For his part, Syria's Grand Mufti, Osama al-Rifai, stated that 'every drop of Syrian blood is sacred and must not be squandered,' urging Syrians to 'stand together, reject sectarian strife, and avoid calls for revenge.'
'Beware of strife,' he warned, 'for its beginning is known but its end is not. These conflicts consume everyone, and in the end, all are losers,' Rifai said, emphasizing the importance of preserving the nation's unity and peace.
Reactions from Israel, Lebanon and Turkey
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a joint statement on Wednesday, saying that Israel had targeted an 'extremist group' allegedly preparing to attack the Druze community in Sahnaya. They urged Syria's leadership to prevent further harm to the Druze.
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee on Wednesday stated that IDF forces remain on high alert and are prepared to strike Syrian regime targets if violence against Druze continues.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, spiritual leader of Israel's Druze community, confirmed on Tuesday that he had contacted international actors and Israeli defense officials, urging protection for Syria's Druze. He called for calm among Druze in Israel and said, 'There is no need for protests. Israel, the army, and the world stand with us.'
"Change is coming soon," he added.
In a statement on his official Facebook page, Tarif additionally condemned the 'brutal terrorist attack' in Jaramana and honored the Druze youth who 'fell defending their land, honor, and faith.'
Tarif contacted Druze figures in Jaramana, 'relevant international actors and influential powers in Syria,' as well as with the Israeli defense minister the commander of the Northern Command of the Israeli army, the statement added.
He warned against the 'targeting of the Druze community in Syria,' stating that 'there can be no safety in Syria unless the rights, dignity, and security of the Druze are guaranteed and protected.'
He further urged the Syrian people with all its constituents to 'extinguish the flames of discord, uproot sectarianism, and refrain from being dragged behind terrorist groups that pose a grave threat to civil peace.'
In Lebanon, prominent Druze leader and head of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, on Wednesday accused Israel of attempting to drag Syrian Druze into conflict with Muslims. 'This project aims to pit a small minority against all Muslims,' and 'the Druze will be accused of being soldiers in the [Israeli] occupation army' he warned, calling the Israeli involvement a dangerous provocation.
'Preserving the [Druze] brothers [in Syria] entails rejecting Israeli interference,' Jumblatt said following a meeting with Druze figures in Beirut.
Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party stated that he had been in contact with Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan to mediate a ceasefire.
The Progressive Socialist Party had earlier on Tuesday warned conflicting sides in Syria against 'falling into the trap of sectarian division' and emphasized "the importance of preserving Syria's unity and its social and popular fabric." It stressed the need to preserve Syria's unity and social cohesion, and urged Damascus to conduct 'a transparent investigation into the incident.'
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly condemned Israel's strikes in Syria, labeling them 'provocative and unacceptable.'