9 Druzes killed in ambush near Damascus as sectarian unrest continues: war monitor

DAMASCUS, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Nine Druze men were killed Thursday after falling into an ambush set by Syrian forces and allied paramilitary units while en route to support Druze fighters in Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

According to the Britain-based war monitor, the Druze fighters were en route from the southern Suwayda province to support the Druze in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya in the southwest of Damascus, bringing the total number of people killed in the recent sectarian unrest to 73.

In a statement issued Thursday, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, spiritual head of Syria's Druze community based in the predominantly Druze southern Suwayda province, urged international peacekeeping forces to act immediately against what he described as "ongoing crimes" against civilians amid the sectarian unrest.

Meanwhile, Syria's foreign affairs authorities said "some groups" are attempting to internationalize the unrest, though calling for foreign intervention, which is "illegitimate and unacceptable."

All national issues will be addressed solely through Syrian institutions, the authorities said, adding that Syria's sovereignty is not a subject for discussion or negotiation.

Violence erupted earlier this week in Jaramana in the southeastern suburbs of Damascus, which is known for having a majority Druze and Christian population, after the circulation of an audio recording, which was attributed to a member of the Druze community and contained remarks considered offensive to Islam.

The unrest, initially centered in Jaramana, has since spread to neighboring areas southwest of Damascus, including predominantly Druze towns Sahnaya and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, where clashes between local Druze fighters and pro-government forces have intensified.

On Wednesday, Syria's state media reported that Syrian forces had regained control of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya. The town's entrances and exits were sealed, from the al-Maamel area to the Daraa highway and the Tayarah checkpoint, effectively isolating it from its surroundings.

"The state will not allow armed chaos," said Damascus Rural Governor Amer al-Sheikh on Wednesday night at a press conference, adding that "weapons must remain exclusively in the hands of the state."

According to the state media, life has begun to return to parts of Jaramana on Thursday, with roads reopened and traffic flowing, whereas the atmosphere in surrounding areas remains tense. Enditem