Syria’s fragile stability in focus after violence in Druze-majority Damascus suburb

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least 13 people - mostly from Syria’s Druze community - were killed and 17 others injured in armed clashes that erupted early Tuesday in the Druze-majority city of Jaramana, southeast of Damascus, after a blasphemous audio recording allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad seemingly sparked violence.

The deadly incident comes amid a broader surge in sectarian tensions in the country, including recent violence in Alawite-majority regions that left around 1,500 people dead, highlighting Syria's deepening communal fractures.

The incident

The violence broke out between Sunni and Druze locals after the circulation of blasphemous audio, reportedly containing insults to the Prophet of Islam Muhammad. The recording, which surfaced online within the past 48 hours, was attributed to prominent Druze cleric Sheikh Marwan Kiwan.

In a video statement, Sheikh Kiwan issued “categorically and staunchly” denied any connection to the audio. The persons who publicized the voice recording are “evil” and want “to sow strife among Syrian constituents,” he said.

“You can hear my voice clearly [in this video]. Compare it to the one in the fabricated false recording,” the Druze cleric stressed.

Nonetheless, the audio prompted a mobilization of gunmen from the predominantly Sunni town of Mleiha, who advanced toward the Druze-majority area of Jaramana. Clashes quickly escalated, continuing from midnight until Tuesday morning, with both sides using small and medium weapons.

Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson Mustafa al-Abdo confirmed the deaths of two Damascus-affiliated security personnel in the fighting which he said was “triggered by internal social tensions and fueled by the circulation of an offensive audio recording.”

Members of Syria’s Druze community publicly mourned the additional deaths, bringing the confirmed toll to at least 13, with many others more wounded.

Local voices

Rudaw correspondent Dilkhwaz Mohammed visited Jaramana later on Tuesday. Speaking to him, an armed Druze local said, “The security situation is currently, as you can see, under our control.” He added that the Druze community had adopted the slogan: “No attack by us or against us.” Citing a well-known proverb, he said, “Strife is asleep, and whoever awakens it is damned. Those pushing for strife are acting against the whole of Syria.”

Another Druze resident emphasized longstanding intercommunal coexistence stating, “We, the locals of Jaramana, have always lived in love and peace. Our religious clerics in Suwayda, Mount Hermon, and elsewhere are working to prevent strife.”

“We are against strife, and the spill of the blood of any Syrian, regardless of their religion, is heartbreaking and not acceptable to us," the local noted.

Earlier in the day, a senior Druze source in Jaramana told Mohammed that armed men launched a multipronged push to enter Jaramana from multiple directions, using the controversial audio as a pretext to target” the Druze-majority area. The source noted the use of “mortars and machine guns” against Jaramana.

It is worth noting that ahead of Tuesday’s clashes in Jaramana, tensions were simmering between Druze and Sunni students at the Homs University City, over the same controversial audio.

A number of angry students reportedly stormed the rooms of their Druze colleagues to force them out of the University complex. Students from Suwayda were reportedly assaulted, leading to injury of several of them.

Official stances

The Syrian interior ministry on Tuesday confirmed that the "sporadic clashes erupted in Jaramana between armed groups, some from outside the area and others from within.” In response, “units from the general security forces, supported by forces from the Syrian defense ministry,” were deployed to "contain the clashes, protect the residents, and maintain social peace,” the ministry said.

Regarding the controversial audio recording, the ministry announced that an urgent investigation has been launched to determine its source and context.

Notably, it emphasized that preliminary findings “do not conclusively link Sheikh Marwan Kiwan to the recording.” Investigative efforts are ongoing to identify the voice behind the audio and ensure that the responsible individual is brought to justice in accordance with Syrian law, the ministry stressed.

The Syrian interior ministry further urged restraint and warned against retaliatory actions that could exacerbate tensions. It stressed that “rising sectarian tensions and social divisions in parts of Syria pose a significant challenge to national security and stability,” reaffirming the state's commitment to protecting religious sanctities and ensuring accountability for any offenses committed.

Druze response

In a statement, the Druze religious authority in Jaramana rejected what it called an “unjustified armed attack” on the area.

“We strongly condemn and denounce the armed assault on Jaramana, in which various types of weapons were used to target innocent civilians and terrorize peaceful residents,” the statement read.

The Druze religious authority in Jaraman further held the Syrian authorities "fully responsible for what happened and for any subsequent developments or deterioration of the crisis,” while also asserting its rejections of "any insult to the Prophet Muhammad."

It slammed the blasphemous audio which sparked the fighting as “fabricated” and “a deliberate attempt and scheme to provoke sectarian division and discord among the people of Syria.”

Labeling the audio recording as “fabricated,” the council described it as a “deliberate attempt to provoke sectarian discord among the Syrian people.” It called on the state to prioritize the protection of civilians and their property, deeming this one of the state's most basic duties.

The Druze religious authority in Jaramana also urged authorities to “clarify the circumstances of what occurred, reveal the full truth, and act to halt ongoing incitement campaigns that are worsening the crisis.”

For his part, Waheeb Hamdan, the mayor of Jaramana, announced on Tuesday that the area is experiencing a cautious calm, while the general atmosphere is still strained. He rejected any attempts to stir division with neighboring regions, while also pointing out a shortcoming by the security forces that allowed the clashes to escalate.

Meanwhile, in the predominantly Druze province of Suwayda in southern Syria, the spiritual leader of Syria’s Druze community, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, on Tuesday denounced the deadly clashes in Jaramana as a “terrorist attack” deliberately targeting civilians.

He stressed that such “criminal acts are intended solely to sow division, incite sectarian strife, and spread violence and terrorism.”

Hijri warned that the violence was a symptom of “an inciting domestic climate that is eating away at the Syrian body.” He lamented the growing tendency among some citizens to accuse one another of treason and to reject “even legitimate forms of criticism.”

He further cautioned that the suppression of free voices benefits only extremist and destabilizing factions attempting to impose a “monochrome and exclusionary sectarian agenda” on Syria.

Hijri also criticized what he described as the ongoing “absence of security and paralysis of essential government institutions,” questioning the role of the interim authority and accusing it of issuing decisions that lack both transparency and clarity.

In a related development, local Syrian media reported that Damascus-affiliated general security forces had established roadblocks along key routes leading to Suwayda province.

Although no direct clashes or confrontations were recorded within Suwayda itself, the province was on high alert. Armed factions and local popular committees braced for potential emergency scenarios following reports of military convoys moving toward the region.

Druze in solidarity

The Druze are a religious and ethnocultural group originating in the 11th century as an offshoot of Ismaili Islam. Their faith is monotheistic and esoteric, with core beliefs known only to a select group of initiates.

The global Druze population is estimated at 1 to 1.5 million, with the majority in the Levant. Syria hosts the largest community of 700,000–900,000 members, primarily in the southern Suwayda province and areas around Damascus and Mount Hermon.

Lebanon has around 300,000 to 400,000 Druze, mostly in the Chouf Mountains and Aley region, where they hold political influence.

In Israel, there are about 150,000 Druze, mainly in the Galilee, Carmel Mountains, and Golan Heights, where they are integrated into state institutions, including the military. Smaller communities exist in Jordan and the diaspora.

The clashes in Jaramana were quick to draw reactions from Druze leaders in Syria’s western neighbor, Lebanon.

The Progressive Socialist Party condemned, in a statement, "the completely unacceptable insult to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)” slamming the controversial audio as “suspicious.”

The Party urged “respect for the sanctity of religious symbols,” warning all sides against “falling into the trap of sectarian division,” emphasizing "the importance of preserving Syria's unity and its social and popular fabric."

The Progressive Socialist Party issued a statement condemning “the completely unacceptable insult to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him),” describing the controversial audio recording as “suspicious.”

The party emphasized the importance of “respecting the sanctity of religious symbols,” and warned against falling into the trap of sectarian division. It stressed the need to preserve Syria’s unity and social cohesion, and urged Damascus to conduct “a transparent investigation into the incident and its background,” while calling for calm and state action to prevent further unrest.

Talal Arslan, leader of the Lebanese Democratic Party, echoed these concerns in a post on X, stating that “the protection of the Druze and all minorities in Syria is a core responsibility of the [Syrian] state and its official authorities.” He urged “the countries of the world, especially Arab states,” to act to prevent such attacks and protect the Druze as they would any other minority.

Meanwhile, Wiam Wahhab, head of the Lebanese Tawhid Party, also condemned the offensive audio, stating that “insulting the Prophet Muhammad is an insult to us [Druze] before it is to other Islamic sects.” Addressing the people of Jaramana, he affirmed, “Defending your city is both a right and a duty, but beware of harming any civilian or innocent person. We, along with the Sunnis, are united in confronting terrorism.”

The future

Jaramana is home to a majority of Druze and Christians, along with many families displaced by the Syrian unrest that began in 2011. The area experienced renewed tensions following the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in early December at the hands of a coalition of opposition groups, led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), seized control. In early March, security forces loyal to the new leadership deployed in Jaramana after clashes with armed Druze groups.

Around that same time, Assad loyalists launched attacks on security forces aligned with the new leadership in Syria’s Alawite-majority western regions. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), about 1,500 people - mostly Alawites - were killed, with most deaths attributed to government or pro-government forces.

The spike in sectarian violence in Syria has drawn repeated condemnation from Western and regional powers, as well as human rights organizations.

The continued clashes underscore the country’s deep-rooted divisions, which are further inflamed by online incitement. While authorities have launched investigations and efforts to manage the fallouts, the situation poses a persistent threat to Syria’s fragile path toward lasting peace.

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