'You can’t punish an entire sect': Fear and distrust as Syrian authorities encircle Druze-majority town

Syrian government forces have established checkpoints barring armed people after sectarian clashes leave town in ruins

Syrian General Security forces in the city of Sahnaya are searching cars entering the city. May 1,2025

Syrian government security forces have re-established checkpoints throughout the Druze-majority suburb of Sahnaya in the south-west of Damascus, after three days of deadly sectarian violence that have left this once-quiet town shattered and on edge.

The scent of ash still lingers in the air. Blackened facades of homes and shops speak to the ferocity of recent clashes, while unexploded mortar shells lie on the ground – reminders of the violence that pushed Sahnaya to the brink.

Residents now sift through the remains, clearing shards of glass from looted storefronts and torched vehicles, even as uniformed officers from Syria’s general security tighten control over the town’s entrances and exits.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians were trapped as intense fighting broke between Druze militants defending Sahnaya and Syrian government-affiliated groups seeking to wrest control from local forces.

Tamara Abu Alwan, 26, a political activist and humanitarian based in Sahnaya, described scenes of chaos and fear.

The Druze sheikhs were humiliated, and the government stood by

Tamara Abu Alwan,
political activist

“Over 500 people were taken from Sahnaya, and only 30 have come back,” she told The National.

“Homes were set on fire, and people were called kuffar [infidel]. The Druze sheikhs were humiliated, and the government stood by. They labelled the local forces here as illegitimate, illegal groups, paving the way for what happened.”

Abu Fadi, a commander with the General Security Forces, which has now established a tight cordon on the area said: “We’re here to prevent anyone but the state from carrying weapons”.

“Our mandate is clear – no armed group will be tolerated in Sahnaya, even if it is the Syrian Ministry of Defence. this area is now solely controlled by General Security.” he told The National in a statement.

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  The main check point of Sahnaya, Damascus. All photos: Hasan Belal for The National

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  A building in Sahnaya following the clashes between Druze armed forces and extremist factions

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  A girl and her mother collect bread

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  Syrian General Security forces in the city of Sahnaya are searching cars entering the city. Hasan Belal for The National. May 1,2025

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  A public security checkpoint regulates traffic in Sahnaya

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  Sahnaya residents return to normal daily following the clashes

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  Charred remains of a building in Sahnaya

Fear of speaking up

But distrust towards Damascus is still palpable. Activists and residents accuse the government of standing by while sectarian actors and some radical groups assaulted Sahnaya.

As a sense of unease grips the town, Druze have voiced concern over continuing violations reported, phones searched at checkpoints, activists doxxed online, and community leaders targeted.

“Two lawyers who tried to negotiate the release of kidnapped Druze civilians were killed,” Tamara Abu Alwan continued.

“Now, people are afraid to even speak. The checkpoints are not just for security – they’re there to make sure information coming out of the town is controlled.”

On Thursday, Hussam Wourour, the mayor of Sahnaya, was assassinated alongside his only son shortly after appearing in a video urging calm and praising the return of government forces.

The killing has stoked fears that the conflict may escalate further. The violence, according to residents and activists, was sparked by a deliberate social media misinformation campaign fuelled by sectarian groups.

At the heart of the unrest was a fabricated voice recording circulating online, purported to be of a Druze cleric insulting the Prophet Mohammed.

Although quickly debunked by Syrian authorities and leading Druze religious figures, the recording ignited outrage among pro-government militias, sparking attacks on Druze communities across the country - most notably in Sahnaya and nearby Jaramana.

Syrian government forces stationed at the entrance of the mainly Druze district of Jaramana near Damascus. AFP

Jaramana, also a mainly Druze district but far larger and more heavily fortified by community militias, saw brief clashes before a tense standoff stabilised the situation.

Rabih Monzer, member of the local council for Civil Peace in Jaramana, told The National, “Officials from the political administration in Damascus visited the city of Jaramana after the clashes. We had a meeting to condemn the acts of rogue groups that attacked the city of Jaramana, as it was a flagrant violation.”

“The first casualties were actually from the General Security Forces. Some of them were even from our own city,” Mr Monzer said.

“We agreed [in the meeting] on four key points: first, to compensate the families of those who were killed; second, to hold those responsible for the attacks accountable; third, to ensure transparency through media coverage; and fourth, to secure guarantees that the road to Suwayda would remain open- it’s a vital link for our families.”

“The roads are still blocked, and the recent tensions in Ashrafiyet Sahnaya have pushed us back to the edge. It’s clear there are deep divisions among Syrians. The video and audio were fabricated – you can’t punish an entire area, an entire sect, based on a lie.”

Jaramana was the scene of concerted efforts of de-escalation, yet Sahnaya was left vulnerable. Armed groups, some reportedly implicated in earlier violence along the Syrian coast, swept into the town.

With Sahnaya now under firm government control, the contrast with neighbouring Jaramana is stark. The latter avoided a full-scale incursion and retained its local defences - a sign that broader political calculations could be at play.

The Druze community, long wary of both extremist factions and central authorities, now finds itself in an increasingly precarious position. As Syria reels from renewed sectarian strife, the road to reconciliation - and lasting peace - may run through Jaramana’s fragile stability.