Dozens of people apparently killed in fighting in Syria

Dozens of people have been killed in fighting between Bedouin tribes and Druze in southern Syria, activists say. Twenty-seven Druze, including two children, and ten Bedouins were killed in the fighting in the predominantly Druze town of Suweida, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Sunday.

The news portal "Suweida 24" reported a preliminary death toll of ten. There were also more than 50 injured. The road between Suweida and Damascus was also closed due to the fighting.

A Syrian government official said security forces were being deployed to bring the situation under control. The Syrian state news agency Sana reported that the security forces had been deployed in the border area of Daraa and Suweida provinces.

Suweida Governor Mustafa al-Bakur called on the people of the region to exercise restraint. Several high-ranking Druze clerics also called for calm and demanded intervention by the authorities in the capital, Damascus.

There have been long-standing clashes between Bedouins and Druze in Suweida, which repeatedly escalate into violence. In April and May, dozens of people were killed in clashes between supporters of the new Islamist government in Damascus and the Druze religious minority in Syria. Since the overthrow of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad by Islamists, there have been concerns about the rights and security of minorities in the country.

Before the civil war that broke out in 2011, approximately 700,000 Druze lived in Syria, most of them in Suweida Province. This religious minority, which emerged from Islam in the 11th century, makes up about three percent of the Syrian population. Druze also live in Lebanon, Israel, and the Golan Heights.