Government forces, Druze fighters reach ceasefire after sectarian violence • FRANCE 24 English

The violence may have abated, but the aftermath has been difficult for residents of this town south of Damascus, which saw two days of intense sectarian clashes. The situation was very difficult and the damage was extensive. As you can see, the shopfront and some items inside were affected. The town’s governor said that a ceasefire agreement had been reached Wednesday night to put an end to the fighting and security forces have been deployed to keep the peace. The clashes erupted between Syrian security forces, allied fighters, and local Drews groups. Sparked by the circulation of an audio recording attributed to a Drew citizen and deemed blasphemous, Syrian authorities distanced themselves from the attacks, blaming them on outlaw groups. But the latest violence has only hardened fears among minority groups about the Sunni Islamists now in charge and follows a series of massacres on Syria’s coast in March, where security forces and allied groups killed more than 1,700 civilians, mostly Alawites. The regime fell on the basis that there would be no sect, no sectarianism, that we would be one people. I don’t know what is happening. Why this killing? Why this attack on the Drews? Why this attack on the Alawites? Israeli forces were seen along the Israeli Syrian border in the occupied Golden Heights Thursday, a day after Israel carried out a strike in Syria, claiming to protect the Drews community. Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on military sites in Syria since Bashar al-Assad’s downfall and sent troops into the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golden Heights. In a statement, the Syrian Foreign Ministry vowed to protect all components of society, including the Drews, and expressed its rejection of foreign interference. But it has to contend with divisions within its own ranks, including from radical fringes of its armed forces.

A ceasefire was reached on Thursday after clashes between government security forces and its allied groups with Druze minority fighters erupted south of the Syrian capital of Damascus, most of them Alawites. The fighting, which started after an audio recording attributed to a Druze citizen which was deemed blasphemous was circulated, prolongs months of sectarian violence which has killed thousands and spread fears about the new Sunni Islamist leadership.
#Syria #druze #government

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27 comments

  3. You don’t see the majority population of Syria condemning this with candle light vigils or protest. ‼️

  7. الارهابيين الذين كانوا تسمونه محاربين الحرية 😂😂😂 اتمنى أن يذوق الغرب ما يذوقة هولاء الدروز والمسيحيين والعلويين والشيعة والاكراد المساكين.

  15. When the government leaves minorities to protect themselves, they get murdered, and when they seize control, peace returns. This means Syria needs a stronger government with a monopoly on weapons and a strict hierarchy in all armed forces. In other words, A Syrian state is needed, and I don't think the sanctions are helping build it.

  19. This could not have been achieved without Israel backing the Druze in Syria out of duty to Israel's Druze citizens, making Syrian temporary government realize they should do anything needed to protect Jews and Druze in Syria.

  21. I'm sure it's a typical case of incitement from people outside of Syria to provoke a new civil war and a division of Syria. After so many centuries of Muslim rule over the druze, why should Muslims decide to persecute the minorities. Surely, a stabilized government will give Syria stability in terms of security. Lift sanctions.

  22. Arab and African countries can not live in democracy, they have to be occupied form another country or have a dictatorship otherwise they do what their doing to each other!

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