At least 30 people have been killed in clashes in southern Syria after authorities sent forces to try to stabilize the situation. Dozens of others were injured in clashes between Bedouin Sunni tribesmen and militants from the Druze religious minority in the town of Sweida, informs BBC.
Syria’s interior ministry reported at least 30 dead, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the fighting, put the death toll at 37. Tensions between members of religious minorities have escalated since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December.
A new Islamist government is trying to take control of a country that is in an unstable state. Late last year, Sunni rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham seized Damascus and ousted President Bashar al-Assad, whose family had ruled the country for more than half a century.
On July 14, Syria’s Interior Ministry said its forces would intervene to settle the conflict and end the violence, which it said had injured at least 100 people. The governor of Sweida, Mustafa al-Bakur, called on citizens to “show restraint and respond to national calls for reforms.” Spiritual leaders also appealed to the people for calm.
The Druze religion is an offshoot of Shia Islam, and there are also significant Druze communities in Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel. During the Assad regime, many members of this community remained loyal in the hope of protection during the 13-year civil war. Hundreds of members of the Alawite minority, another Shiite sect, have also been killed in recent months, and attacks on Christians in churches in Damascus have also been reported.
It will be recalled that Western countries are trying to restore diplomatic ties with Syria. The United States removed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham from its list of foreign terrorist organizations this month, and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy became the first British government official to visit Syria since the uprising began 14 years ago.
