Clashes between Druze gunmen and pro-government fighters in Syrian capital kill at least 4

DAMASCUS – Clashes broke retired successful a suburb of the Syrian superior aboriginal Tuesday betwixt section gunmen belonging to the number Druze sect and pro-government fighters, leaving astatine slightest 4 radical dead, a warfare show and an activistic radical said.

The warring successful the confederate Damascus suburb of Jaramana broke retired aft an audio clip circulated connected societal media of a antheral attacking Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. The audio was attributed to a Druze cleric, who aboriginal denied being involved.

Druze cleric Marwan Kiwan said successful a video posted connected societal media that helium was not liable for the audio, which angered galore Sunni Muslims and led to the warring successful Druze neighborhoods successful Jaramana.

"I categorically contradict that the audio was made by me,” Kiwan said successful the video. “I did not accidental that and whoever made it is an evil antheral who wants to incite strife betwixt components of the Syrian people.”

The Interior Ministry said successful a connection it was investigating the audio clip, adding that its archetypal probe showed the cleric was not responsible. The ministry urged radical to abide by the instrumentality and not to enactment successful a mode that undermines security.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said astatine slightest 4 radical were killed successful the clashes portion the activistic media corporate Suwayda 24 said 5 radical were killed and 12 were wounded.

Syrian Druze gunmen person clashed successful caller weeks with authorities information forces successful Jaramana.

On March 1, Israel’s Defense Ministry said the subject was instructed to hole to support Jaramana, asserting that the number it has vowed to support was “under attack” by Syrian forces.

The Druze spiritual sect is simply a number radical that began arsenic a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a subdivision of Shiite Islam. Over fractional of the astir 1 cardinal Druze worldwide unrecorded successful Syria. Most of the different Druze unrecorded successful Lebanon and Israel, including successful the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria successful the 1967 Mideast War and annexed successful 1981.

The worst interior clashes successful Syria since the autumn of President Bashar Assad successful aboriginal December occurred past period successful the country's coastal portion and progressive members of the number Alawite sect that the erstwhile president belonged to.

The clashes betwixt Assad loyalists and authorities forces were accompanied by revenge killings that near much than 1,000 radical dead, including hundreds of civilians, according to a warfare monitor. The Associated Press has not been capable to independently verify the figures.

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