HALABJA, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - At least 18 people have been killed and 50 others wounded since clashes between armed members of local tribes and Syrian security forces broke out in the southern Syrian city of Suwayda on Sunday afternoon.

Violent clashes broke out on Sunday afternoon in Suwayda after “an attack launched by armed groups from tribes on police checkpoints affiliated with the internal security command,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported.

The conflict has killed at least 10 people with 50 others wounded as of the writing of this article, Syria TV reported, citing correspondents on the ground.

SOHR, however, puts the death toll at at least 18.

Suwayda is the only Druze majority province in Syria, with a Druze population of around 90 percent. The Druze are a religious minority that live in Syria and other parts of the Levant, subscribing to an Abrahamic faith and calling themselves al-Muwahiddun (the monotheists). Their beliefs share numerous similarities with other Abrahamic religions.

“Events have developed into a hidden, abhorrent sedition that we denounce, regardless of its nature. All blame and accountability are placed on those who instigated it. We affirm our firm and unwavering position,” The Druze community’s spiritual leadership said in a statement following the skirmishes.

“While we forbid and condemn aggression in all its forms, we at the same time refuse to accept the continuation of injustice or remain silent about the repeated violations that target our people, our roads, and our dignity,” the community’s leadership added, calling on the Syrian government to maintain safety and security in the region and “remove the uncontrolled gangs from it.”

The clashes came after armed groups blocked the Damascus-Suwayda road from several axes on Sunday morning, leading security forces to close the road to traffic, according to SOHR.

A police checkpoint along the road was targeted in an armed attack, resulting in an exchange of fire between the assailants and security forces, which saw mortar shells being fired as they advanced toward the checkpoint, the monitor reported, citing sources.

Syria has fallen to sectarian strife time and again since Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels in December overthrew the Bashar al-Assad regime, leading to then-HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa seizing the presidency of the country. Despite vows of inclusivity, minorities remain cautious of the new regime in power.

Syrian security forces in March carried out an extensive campaign of “public executions” against the minority Alawites in the coastal regions west of the country, killing over 1,700 men, women, and children.