Recent clashes between Sunni and Druze gunmen in southern Syria have the potential to spark a full-blown sectarian conflict in the country, experts told Al-Monitor, as the new government deploys more forces to the area.

Clashes broke out in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana on Monday, when armed Sunnis from nearby areas entered the town, leading to a gunfight with local Druze. The incident was prompted by a purported recording of a Druze man insulting the Muslim Prophet Muhammad. On Wednesday, the fighting spread to nearby Sahnaya and the southern province of Suwayda. A truce was reached in Sahnaya and Jaramana on Wednesday. 

Syria’s official news outlet, SANA, reported that government forces deployed to Sahnaya and Suwayda on Thursday to reestablish calm. The same day, SANA reported that a deal had been reached in Jaramana for individuals to surrender heavy weapons and for government forces to deploy to the area.

Syrian Druze religious leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri on Thursday condemned what he described as an "unjustified genocidal attack" against the community. He called on international forces to "intervene" and said he no longer trusts the government, saying in a statement, “A government does not kill its people."