Armed clashes in Sweida, Syria, have left more than 30 people dead and 100 wounded as sectarian tensions rise

Violence in the mainly Druze town of Sweida erupted after the kidnapping of a Druze shopkeeper, sparking clashes between sectarian groups. The Syrian interior ministry reported more than 30 dead and 100 wounded, and security forces will intervene to restore order. Fighting is concentrated in the Maqwas district, where Bedouin tribes and Druze militias have clashed. The violence reflects an escalation of sectarian tensions in Syria, heightened by the fears of minorities after the overthrow of the Assad regime.