Syria's Druz leaders condemned the "genocide movement" after they died in dozens of clashes south of Damascus.
A leader of the Syrian Druz minority has condemned his community attack after dozens of people were killed in sectarian clashes south of Damascus.
Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri condemned the violence in Jaramana and Sahnaya near Damascus earlier this week as a "genocide movement" targeting the Syrian Druze community.
Syria's Ministry of Information said 11 members of the country's 11 security forces were killed in two separate attacks.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said at least 101 people were killed while fighting between security forces, Allied fighters and local Druze groups.
SOHR relies on a Syrian network of sources, he said the death toll includes 30 government loyalists, 21 Druze fighters and 10 civilians, including former mayor of Sanaya, Husam Warwar.
In the southern province of the Druze minority, Sweida, it said 40 Druze fighters were killed, 35 people were killed in a "ambush" on Sweida-Damascus Road on Wednesday.
The clash broke out on Monday midnight after a clip of voices scattered on social media that criticized the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The audio is attributed to Druze scholars. However, the scholar Marwan Kiwan said in a video posted on social media that he was not responsible for the audio, which angered many Sunni Muslims.
The Syrian government said on Wednesday afternoon that the Druze VIP reached an agreement with official representatives, after which security forces and pro-government combatants entered the Salyaya and the Druze gunmen and quit the streets.
Videos on social media show what appeared to be pro-government armed groups, defeating the Druzes they captured in Sahnaya and making offensive sectarian remarks.
"This collective killing is systematic, clear, visible, and documented," Al-Hijri's statement said. “We no longer believe in a group that claims to be the government because the government will not kill its people through extremist gangs loyal to the people, after the Holocaust claimed they were loose forces.”
Violence poses a serious challenge to the country's new authorities, which in December overthrew long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad. According to SOHR, it was following a March massacre in Syria’s heart of Alavet on the Mediterranean coast, where security forces and allied groups killed more than 1,700 civilians, mostly Alavets.
Israeli officials expressed support for Druze, and Defense Minister Israel Katz warned his country that his country would respond “with great force” if new Syrian authorities fail to protect minority communities.
"If the attacks on Druze's resume and the Syrian regime fail to stop them, Israel will respond with great force," Katz said in a later statement.
Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani reiterated Syria’s rejection of international intervention demands on Thursday and posted on X that “national unity is a solid foundation for any stability or rejuvenation process.”
He added: “Acquiring external intervention with any excuse or slogan will only lead to further deterioration and division.”
Most Druze spiritual leaders and factions have chosen to declare their dissatisfaction in closed communication with the new government, but concerns have intensified after suppressing Al-Assad loyalists in the coastal province of Syria, turning into a series of targeted revenge attacks against the Alaveite minorities.
Videos of burnt houses and bleeding bodies circulating on the streets. Thousands of Alavis fled to neighboring Lebanon, many of whom were too scared.
After that, Druze became reluctant to lie down his arms, and they said they needed protection.