Deadly Clashes Rock Syrian Druze Town After Alleged Blasphemy
At least a dozen people were killed on Tuesday in the predominantly Druze town of Jaramana, southeast of Damascus, after armed Sunni fighters stormed the area in response to a widely circulated recording in which a Druze man allegedly insulted the Prophet Muhammad. The confrontation is the latest in a series of sectarian flashpoints that have intensified in Syria since Islamist-led factions took control of the capital last year.
The clashes reportedly began overnight when gunmen from the nearby town of Maliha and other Sunni-majority areas converged on Jaramana. Security sources and rescue workers confirmed the death toll and said the violence erupted quickly, prompting widespread panic among residents.
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Tensions have escalated since December, when Islamist forces ousted former Syrian President Bashar Assad and installed their own government in Damascus. Minority groups, including Alawites and Druze, have expressed growing fear about their future under the new leadership. In March, hundreds of Alawites were killed in what was widely viewed as retaliation for atrocities committed by Assad loyalists.
Druze communities have largely taken up arms to defend themselves, resisting efforts by the new government to place all local weapons under central control. Local leaders say Damascus has failed to provide adequate protection.
Israel, which is home to thousands of Druze citizens and controls the Golan Heights—captured from Syria in 1967—has previously signaled it may act to protect Druze communities if threatened.
