Fresh violence has reignited tensions in southern Syria, especially near Damascus, exposing the fragile peace that followed the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.
Islamist militants, Druze fighters, and security forces clashed violently, leading to dozens of deaths.Israel entered the conflict, launching airstrikes to protect the Druze population.
The government said the strikes aimed to prevent further attacks against the minority group.After 13 years of war and authoritarian rule, Syria remains divided.
The new leadership promises unity, but critics question their jihadist roots and long-term agenda.Before Assad’s fall, his forces had regained partial control over major cities, highways, and the Alawite coastal areas.
However, Idlib, the Kurdish northeast, and the Druze south remained outside his full control.These divisions have persisted. In March, clashes between Assad loyalists and government troops killed hundreds.
Other militias joined in and reportedly attacked Alawite civilians in revenge.The recent fighting erupted in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, a Druze town south of Damascus.
Armed factions and Druze fighters exchanged gunfire, prompting fears of another wave of civil conflict. The Druze, a religious group branching from Islam, also live in Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel.
Israel responded to the violence by striking targets around Ashrafiyat Sahnaya on Wednesday. Officials said the attacks were warnings and urged Syria’s government to protect the Druze.
Syrian authorities sent troops to the area, blaming local “outlaw groups” for starting the clashes. But Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, the Druze spiritual leader, called the attacks an “unjustifiable genocidal campaign.” He said Druze residents had only defended their homes.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 101 deaths this week. The casualties include 71 Druze—10 civilians and 35 fighters ambushed while traveling from Suweida to Damascus—and 30 security officers and allied fighters.
The violence in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, Jaramana, and Suweida shows Syria’s continuing instability.
As tensions rise, the fate of the Druze community and national peace remain uncertain.
