Renewed sectarian clashes in southern Syria鈥檚 Druze-majority Sweida province killed at least four people on Sunday, a war monitor said, in the first deadly incident since a ceasefire last month.
The province witnessed deadly clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouins in July that drew the intervention of government forces and tribal fighters who came to support the Bedouins.
A ceasefire put an end to the week of bloodshed 鈥� which killed 1,400 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights 鈥� but the situation remained tense, flaring into violence again on Sunday.
The Observatory said three Syrian security forces personnel were killed 鈥榓s clashes erupted with local factions around Tal Hadid in the western Sweida countryside鈥�.
The Observatory also reported the death of a 鈥榣ocal fighter鈥�.
Tal Hadid is a 鈥榢ey control point鈥� at a relatively high altitude, according to the monitor, allowing whoever controls it to overlook neighbouring areas.
Fighting also erupted around the city of Thaala, the Observatory said, 鈥榝ollowing bombardment of the area with shells and heavy weapons launched from areas under the control of government forces, while the sound of explosions and gunfire was heard in various parts of Sweida city鈥�.
Syrian state-run news agency SANA accused Druze groups loyal to influential spiritual leader Hikmat al-Hijri of breaching the ceasefire by attacking government troops in Tal Hadid, killing one security forces officer and injuring others.
Government forces took back control of Tal Hadid after the morning clashes, according to the Observatory.
According to the monitor and Sweida locals, Damascus has been imposing a siege on the province, with the Observatory saying the government wants to 鈥榝orce inhabitants to comply鈥�.
On Friday, Sweida residents held protests across the province to demand the withdrawal of government forces and the opening of an aid corridor from neighbouring Jordan.
The road linking Sweida to Damascus has been cut off since July 20.
Damascus accuses Druze groups of cutting it, but the Observatory says armed groups allied with the government took control of the area and have been blocking travel.
The United Nations was able to send some aid convoys to the province, but an interior ministry source told Syrian state television on Sunday that the humanitarian corridor was temporarily closed 鈥榰ntil the area is secured after outlaw groups violated the ceasefire鈥�.
Syria鈥檚 minority communities have expressed concerns for their safety since December, when an Islamist-led offensive toppled long-time Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, who had presented himself as a protector of minorities.
While the new Syrian authorities have repeatedly stated their intent to protect all of the country鈥檚 ethnic and religious groups, the killing of more 1,400 Alawites along the coast and the violence in Sweida have raised doubts about their ability to manage sectarian tensions.
The government has said it will investigate July鈥檚 violence Sweida, and a committee in charge of the inquiry held its first meeting on Saturday.
