Syria monitor says 9 killed in sectarian clashes as govt vows accountability

Sectarian clashes near Damascus leave nine dead, including six Druze fighters, as authorities vow to pursue perpetrators.

A Syria war monitor on Tuesday (April 29, 2025) said nine people, including six Druze fighters, were killed in sectarian clashes near Damascus, as authorities blamed "gunmen" and vowed to pursue those involved.

The overnight clashes, sparked by the circulation on social media of an audio recording deemed blasphemous, were met with condemnation from leaders of the Druze religious minority.

The violence follows sectarian massacres last month in the Alawite coastal heartland that were the worst bloodshed since Islamist-led forces overthrew longtime president Bashar al-Assad in December.

While seeking to present a more moderate image to the world, the new authorities must also contend with pressures from radical Islamists within their ranks.

"Heavy clashes erupted in Jaramana after security forces and affiliated gunmen stormed" areas of the mostly Druze and Christian suburb of Jaramana, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor.

It added that the clashes erupted after "the circulation of an audio recording, attributed to a Druze citizen, containing religious insults".

AFP was unable to confirm the recording's authenticity.