The death toll from the recent surge of sectarian violence in Syria has tragically surpassed 100, raising alarm across the region. This escalation in violence began earlier in the week in the city of Jaramana, a significant area for the Druse minority. The clashes were reportedly ignited by an audio recording circulating on social media, allegedly featuring a Druse cleric making offensive remarks about the Prophet Muhammad. The cleric swiftly denied these accusations, and the Syrian Interior Ministry stated that their preliminary investigations indicated he was not the individual in the recording.
Despite the denial, armed Sunni extremists launched attacks on regions with substantial Druse populations, including Jaramana, prompting local Druse militias to mobilize in defense of their neighborhoods. Furthermore, to curb the unrest, government forces were deployed to restore order.
As of early Thursday, violence spread from the outskirts of Damascus to an additional town, Ashrafieh Sahnaya, later reaching Sweida, a region predominantly controlled by the Druse in southern Syria. The appalling rise in bloodshed within a country where religious minorities already felt increasingly vulnerable following the regime change in December poses grave concerns about the potential for further sectarian fracturing. This recent conflict marks the second significant outbreak of sectarian violence since President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by a rebel coalition.
