Daijiworld Media Network - Damascus

Damascus, Apr 30: Sectarian unrest has escalated in the southern suburbs of Damascus, with intense clashes reported by a prominent monitoring group in Syria.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported renewed fighting involving light and medium weapons, including RPGs, in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya.

Gunfire and at least one explosion, believed to be from a mortar shell, were heard in both Sahnaya and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya. In response, the General Security Directorate has imposed night curfews in both towns.

SOHR stated that the death toll from the ongoing violence has climbed to 18, including nine residents from Jaramana, Sahnaya, and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, and nine members of pro-government forces. At least 15 others have been wounded, with several reported to be in critical condition, raising concerns that the casualty figures may rise further due to the continued instability.

These clashes follow earlier unrest in Jaramana, which was reportedly sparked by the online dissemination of an audio recording deemed offensive to Islam, allegedly made by an individual from the Druze community.

This incident has inflamed sectarian tensions across various parts of Syria, including university cities such as Aleppo and Homs, and the unrest now appears to be spreading further, according to the Xinhua news agency.

In a related development, unidentified gunmen reportedly targeted the al-Thaala military airport in the countryside of the Druze-majority Suwayda province using medium weapons and mortar shells. While no casualties have been confirmed so far, Syrian Ministry of Defence units are stationed at the base.

Local media also reported aerial surveillance by Israeli reconnaissance aircraft over Sahnaya on Tuesday evening, although no reports of airstrikes followed.
Anticipating further violence, Interior Ministry forces have been deployed along the outskirts of Jaramana, and residents have begun to flee the area. SOHR reported that several families have left the town, and three buses carrying Druze university students have returned to their home provinces due to fears of reprisals.

This latest surge in unrest has heightened concerns about the potential for a wider sectarian conflict, as local authorities and community leaders work to prevent the situation from escalating beyond control.

Earlier on Tuesday, Syrian authorities and local community leaders in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana had reached an agreement in an attempt to restore calm following the recent deadly clashes.