Clashes in Damascus countryside leave 18 dead

Security tensions continued in the Damascus countryside, with clashes in the towns of Sahnaya, Ashrafieh Sahnaya, and Jaramana resulting in the deaths of 18 people, with critical injuries. The toll is expected to rise later.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that among the dead was "Sheikh Wajdi al-Hajj Ali, who died of a gunshot wound to the head in Sahnaya. A pro-Damascus gunman and nine members of the allied forces were also killed."

Amid escalating violence, the Damascus authorities imposed a nighttime curfew in Sahnaya and Ashrafieh Sahnaya, while Jaramana witnessed a heavy security deployment and the movement of families who left the city for fear of security chaos. The Tha'la military airport in the Sweiyda countryside was also targeted by unknown assailants, with no casualties reported.

These developments follow the spread of an audio recording attributed to a Druze member of the Druze community, which included religious insults. This has sparked a wave of sectarian tension that has spread to university areas and other Syrian cities, amid fears of escalating violence and the lack of clear signs of calm so far.

Sh-S

ANHA