Syria: Sectarian clashes erupt in Sahnaya near Damascus

Clashes broke out yesterday evening between the General Security Forces and armed Druze in the city of Sahnaya, south of the Syrian capital Damascus.

According to local residents who spoke to the German Press Agency (DPA), the clashes began near the Ashrafiyat Sahnaya bridge on the Damascus–Daraa road. Security forces advanced into central Sahnaya amid heavy gunfire and rocket fire, reaching neighbourhoods mainly inhabited by members of the Druze community.

Residents said: “People in the city are living in fear, with significant damage to property caused by the gunfire and shelling.”

Meanwhile, Israeli reconnaissance aircraft continue to fly over areas of the capital, with residents reporting the sound of their presence.

The nearby city of Jaramana, also south of Damascus, has returned to a state of calm following the intervention of the Syrian Ministry of Defence, which imposed a security cordon around the area. Elders from Sahnaya and officials from the government also intervened after sectarian clashes in the city resulted in fatalities.

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