The death toll from sectarian clashes in Syria has surpassed 100, fueled by rumors of an insult against the Prophet Muhammad, raising concerns about escalating inter-religious strife in a post-civil war landscape.**
Surge in Sectarian Violence Claims Over 100 Lives in Syria**
Surge in Sectarian Violence Claims Over 100 Lives in Syria**
A recent outbreak of violence sparked by social media rumors has intensified sectarian tensions in Syria, impacting the historically marginalized Druse community.**
In a tragic escalation of sectarian violence in Syria, the death toll has now exceeded 100 as tensions alarmingly heightened following an incident in Jaramana, a city predominantly inhabited by the Druse minority. The unrest ignited on Tuesday after an audio clip purportedly featuring a Druse cleric insulting the Prophet Muhammad circulated on social media. The cleric vehemently denied these allegations, while findings from Syria's Interior Ministry suggested that he was not the individual in question.
Despite the denial, armed Sunni Muslim extremist factions initiated attacks against Druse-populated neighborhoods, triggering fierce retaliation from local Druse militias who mobilized to protect their communities. Further complicating the situation, the Syrian government dispatched troops to restore order amid the escalating violence.
By Wednesday, clashes had spread to Ashrafieh Sahnaya, a town on the southern outskirts of the capital, Damascus, and by Thursday, the violent outbreak reached Sweida, a region predominantly governed by the Druse community in southern Syria. The intense bloodshed has instilled a sense of foreboding regarding the future of religious minorities in Syria, who have long felt threatened since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
This latest round of violence marks yet another chapter in the persistent instability that has plagued Syria, furthering concerns that the nation, already fractured by civil war and sectarian divides, could descend into even deeper divisions.
