Damascus [Syria], April 30: Authorities in Syria have assured a thorough investigation into clashes that are reported to have killed 13 people in a town near the capital, Damascus, largely populated by the country's Druze minority.
The Ministry of Interior said in a statement on Tuesday that it would pursue those involved in the sectarian violence.
Syria's new rulers, who led the rebellion that overthrew longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, have struggled to maintain security for the country's minorities, despite urging national unity and inclusivity.
The clashes were prompted overnight after an audio clip was circulated on social media attacking the Prophet Muhammad. The recording was attributed to a Druze leader.
Attackers from the nearby town of Maliha and other predominantly Sunni areas converged on the mostly Druze town of Jaramana.
The Interior Ministry reported casualties following "intermittent clashes between groups of gunmen", adding that security forces "went to break up the clashes and protect the residents".
"We affirm our keenness to pursue those involved and hold them to account," it said in a statement.
Among those killed were two members of Syria's General Security Service, a new security force comprised mostly of former rebels, according to ministry spokesman Mustafa al-Abdo. Six Druze fighters from Jaramana and three "attackers" were also killed, according to the United Kingdom-based monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
A statement by the Druze community in Jaramana denounced the "unjustified armed attack" and condemned the audio recording, insisting it was fabricated "to incite sedition and sow division among the people of the same nation".
"I categorically deny that the audio was made by me," Druze leader Marwan Kiwan said in the video statement. "I did not say that, and whoever made it is an evil man who wants to incite strife between components of the Syrian people." The Interior Ministry said it was investigating the origin of the voice recording and appealed for calm.
The clash only serves to increase the sectarian tension in Syria, with minorities already on edge following horrifying bloodshed last month.
After al-Assad loyalists from the Alawite community clashed with security forces in March, a wave of vigilante attacks killed hundreds of people in the northern areas of Tartous and Latakia governorates.
The nearly 14-year civil war that preceded al-Assad's fall carved the country into various zones of influence, with the Druze - an Arab minority that practises a religion originally derived from Islam - arming themselves to defend their communities.
The new leadership in Damascus has called for all arms to fall under their authority, but Druze fighters have resisted, saying Damascus has failed to guarantee their protection from hostile armed groups.
Source: Qatar Tribune
