At least 30 people were killed in armed conflict between Sunni Bedouin tribal fighters and Druze militias in southern Syria.
Two days after Druze businessmen were reportedly kidnapped on the highway in Damascus, violence broke out in Druze, Suvida Province on Sunday.
The Ministry of Home Affairs called the situation a “dangerous escalation” and said security forces were being deployed to restore peace.
This is the latest outbreak of deadly sectarian violence in the country since Islam-led rebels In December, President Bashar al-Assad.
Syria’s numerous ethnic communities – including Druze, whose religion is a branch of Shia Islam with its own unique identity and beliefs – expressed concern about the protection assurances of the new authorities.
The conflict between Bedouin tribe members and the Druze militia on Sunday began in the Al-Maqwas community in Suveda.
The area was reportedly inhabited by the Bedouin and later caught by armed Druze fighters.
The battle quickly spread to other parts of Suvia, with tribal members reportedly launching attacks on the towns and villages of Druze in the western and northern suburbs of the city.
The Syrian Human Rights Observatory (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group, said the towns of Sumay and Mazraah were shelled and residents of Tayrah village fled after armed personnel entered the suburbs and caught fire at several families.
It is reported that 37 people were killed – 27 Druzes, including two children and 10 Bedouin people.
“This dangerous escalation is due to the lack of relevant official agencies, leading to worsening chaos, the collapse of the security situation and the inability of local communities to contain the crisis despite repeated calls for peace,” the Ministry of the Interior said.
It added that the Interior Forces coordinated with the Ministry of Defense and would “begin directly intervening in the region to end the conflict and impose orders”.
Suweida’s governor Mustapha al-Bakur called on his voters to “exercise self-control and respond to the country’s call for reform”.
Several Syrian Druz spiritual leaders also called for peace.
On Sunday night, Suwayda 24, a news outlet run by local activists, said mediation between the Bedouin and the Druze leader, aiming to downgrade tensions, led to the release of people kidnapped during the conflict.
But on Monday morning, it reported fighting broke out in the western countryside of Suveda after drones attacked the village while government forces were deployed in the eastern part of East Dera Province.
In early May, more than 130 people were reportedly killed in conflicts between the Druze gunmen, security forces and Allied Islamic fighters in two suburbs of the capital Damascus and Suveda province.
After this battle, the government reached an agreement with the Druze militia to hire local security forces from its posts.
