Death toll in Syria sectarian clashes rises to 248

The death toll in the past few days of sectarian clashes in the southern Druze-dominated Sweida province of Syria has risen to at least 248, the war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirmed. AFP reported. According to SOHRC, 92 of the dead were members of the minority Druze community. Of these, 21 were killed by the Syrian army. In addition, at least 138 security personnel and 18 Bedouin fighters were killed. Last Sunday (July 13), armed members of the Sunni Bedouin tribe kidnapped a Druze vegetable seller on the highway leading to Damascus. Then a retaliatory kidnapping began. From there, the conflict began. The abductees were released at one point, but the fighting did not stop. Clashes continued outside the city of Sweida throughout the day on Monday. The government led by Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara (formerly Abu Mohammed al-Jolani) quickly took important steps to end the conflict. Such as deploying additional troops and creating safe corridors for civilians. When the government began to implement these measures, Israel intervened. On Monday, the Syrian army headed towards Sweida with armored vehicles and tanks, when Israeli forces targeted several tanks. Israel says it will ensure the safety of members of the Druze community in Syria at any cost. The Druze consider themselves a branch of Shiite Islam. They also have many followers in Lebanon, Jordan and Israel. Although it is not known how many tanks were destroyed or how many soldiers were killed in these attacks, Arab countries have strongly condemned the Israeli attacks. The conflict between Sunni Bedouins and Druze groups is not new. Earlier, in April and May, more than 100 people were killed in clashes between Druze fighters and government security forces in the Druze-dominated areas of Damascus-Sweida. It is known that in the previous conflict, Sunni Bedouins joined the security forces and fought against the Druze. In late May, local politicians and spiritual leaders negotiated to end the conflict and handed over the responsibility of security in Sweida to the Druze fighters. However, the presence of armed Bedouins remained in several areas.