Damascus governor denies security forces’ role in Jaramana attack
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – The governor of Damascus denied any involvement of the General Security forces in initiating the attack in the predominantly Druze city of Jaraman in Damascus southern countryside, Fahd al-Arabi, a civil activist affiliated with Jaramana’s Druze spiritual authority, told North Press on Tuesday.
Al-Arabi’s statement came following direct communication with local community leaders after the clashes, as he said.
Easrly on Tuesday, violent clashes in the predominantly Druze city of Jaramana left six people dead and at least 20 others injured.
The escalation comes amid growing sectarian tension sparked by a fabricated audio recording deemed offensive to the Prophet Muhammad.
According to al-Arabi, the fighting began when unidentified gunmen attacked the Nasim checkpoint, one of the city’s main entrances, killing and wounding several security personnel.
He clarified that the victims were residents of Jaramana serving as volunteers in the General Security forces.
The assault triggered widespread alarm among residents, who mobilized in response throughout the early morning hours. Al-Arabi noted that despite efforts to coordinate with authorities, officials responded that they were unable to contain the situation.
Al-Arabi also claimed that 15 members of the attacking group were killed and several others wounded. Some assailants were reportedly captured and, according to him, do not belong to the Ministry of Defense.
He attributed the root cause of the unrest to a doctored audio recording that circulated on social media, containing offensive remarks about the Prophet Muhammad.
The recording provoked widespread outrage within religious and community circles. In response, the Druze spiritual authority in Jaramana issued a statement condemning the recording and the attempt to incite sectarian strife.