Clashes between Druze gunmen and Syrian government security forces in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana on Tuesday killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 15, according to Syrian state media and local sources.
The fighting broke out around midnight on Monday after an audio recording insulting Islam’s Prophet Muhammad circulated, triggering outrage among government forces. The recording was initially attributed to Druze cleric Sheikh Marwan Kiwan, but the Syrian Interior Ministry later said preliminary findings showed he was not responsible.
Gun battles took place at checkpoints in Naseem and Maliha. Footage showed shells hitting residential areas, including the Turbah neighborhood. According to open sources, Druze militias appear to be armed with PKM machine guns, possibly fitted with thermal scopes, along with AK-74 and AKM rifles.
🚨Syria 🇸🇾
Clashes between the messenger’s supporters and Druze militias pic.twitter.com/DM2WeEUlWK
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According to ministry spokesman Mustafa al-Abdo, among those who were killed were two members of Syria’s General Security Service, a newly established force composed mostly of former Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham members. Six Druze fighters from Jaramana were also killed.
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.”
According to an Associated Press report, by late Tuesday, a local truce was reached between government officials and community leaders, promising compensation for victims’ families and prosecution of those responsible. Past truces, however, have often failed.
The Druze, a religious minority rooted in 10th-century Ismailism, make up a significant part of Jaramana’s population. Clashes between Sunni and Druze groups have increased since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December.
The recent clash intensifies sectarian tensions across Syria, as minority communities remain on high alert following violent confrontations between Alawite loyalists and security forces in March, which claimed the lives of over 1,000 people.
