18 killed in clashes between Druze fighters, government forces near Damascus: Monitor
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least 18 people, mostly Druze fighters, have been killed in clashes that erupted with government forces in the majority Druze and Christian suburb of Jaramana near Damascus, after an audio recording allegedly insulting the Prophet Mohammed sparked violence, a war monitor reported on Wednesday.
'The death toll has reached 18 in a preliminary toll in Druze-majority areas near Damascus,' said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, adding that nine members of government-affiliated forces were also killed and injured.
Violence broke out on Tuesday between Sunni and Druze locals after the circulation of an audio clip reportedly containing insults to the Prophet Mohammed. The recording, which surfaced online recently, was attributed to prominent Druze cleric Sheikh Marwan Kiwan – a claim 'categorically and staunchly' denied by the cleric.
The audio prompted a mobilization of gunmen affiliated with the Syrian government in Damascus, who advanced toward Jaramana and sparked clashes with Druze fighters, with both sides using small and medium weapons.
The Observatory added that the death toll 'is expected to increase due to critical injuries.'
On Tuesday, a senior Druze source in Jaramana told Rudaw correspondent Dilkhwaz Mohammed that armed men launched a multipronged push to enter the suburb from multiple directions, using the controversial audio as a pretext to target the area.
Syria's interior ministry urged a probe to determine the source and context of the audio clip.
It emphasized that preliminary findings 'do not conclusively link Sheikh Marwan Kiwan to the recording.' Investigative efforts are ongoing to identify the voice behind the audio and ensure that the responsible individual is brought to justice in accordance with Syrian law, the ministry stressed.
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