Syria Deploys Forces in Damascus Suburb Following Deadly Clashes

DAMASCUS, March 3, 2025 (BSS/AFP) – Syrian forces were deployed in a Damascus suburb on Sunday following fatal clashes with Druze gunmen, state media reported, amid rising tensions over Israeli demands for protection of the Druze minority group.

The suburb of Jaramana, predominantly inhabited by Druze and Christians, witnessed a deadly shooting at a checkpoint on Friday. This was followed by confrontations between local security forces and gunmen protecting the area, as reported by a war monitoring group.

On Sunday, Hossam Tahhan, the local security chief, announced that “our forces have begun deploying” in Jaramana in an effort to restore order and dismantle “illegal checkpoints operated by outlaw groups.” He also vowed to apprehend those responsible for the fatal shooting of a defence ministry employee at a checkpoint on Friday, noting that the perpetrators had “refused” to surrender.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that another individual was killed in the clashes on Saturday, with nine others left wounded.

The restoration of security across Syria remains one of the greatest challenges for the newly-established authorities, who came into power after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December.

Adding to the tensions, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a warning on Saturday, urging the new Islamist-led authorities not to “harm the Druze”, who also reside in Israel, Lebanon, and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Salah Abdulrazak al-Amed, a resident of Jaramana, dismissed the Israeli remarks as “inflammatory and rash statements” designed to “polarise sections of the people”. Another resident, Issa Abdulhaq, expressed indifference, saying, “Israel can declare whatever it wants… They are just talking to themselves.”

The Druze, who account for about three percent of Syria’s population, largely remained neutral during the country’s conflict.

Security chief Tahhan praised the “great cooperation” from Jaramana residents in bringing the suburb under the control of the new authorities. Druze leaders in Jaramana issued a statement affirming that they would “withdraw protection from all offenders and outlaws” and promised to surrender those responsible for the violence to face justice.

Notably, Jaramana was one of the first areas to witness local resistance against the Assad regime when, just before his fall, residents toppled a statue of his father, former President Hafez al-Assad.

Context:

The Druze, a religious minority in the Middle East, have long been a delicate factor in regional politics, given their communities spread across Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and the Golan Heights. Their unique position in Syria’s civil conflict has often led to careful navigation between the warring factions. The recent violence in Jaramana, combined with foreign interventions and the region’s ongoing instability, underscores the broader geopolitical and sectarian complexities facing Syria’s new leadership.