Sectarian clashes kill 14 near Syrian capital Damascus

In Syria, over a dozen people were killed during sectarian clashes in a Druze suburb of Damascus between residents and Sunnis on Tuesday.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 14 people were killed in the predominantly Druze town of Jaramana, including local Druze fighters and members of Syria's General Security Service.

The violence was reportedly triggered by the circulation of an audio recording on social media, allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad and attributed to a Druze cleric.

The cleric, Marwan Kiwan, denied responsibility for the recording.

The incident highlights ongoing sectarian tensions in Syria following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad by Islamist-led rebels in December 2024.

The Syrian Interior Ministry launched an investigation into the origin of the audio recording and called for calm.