Over 30 fatalities reported in sectarian violence in Sweida, Syria, according to the interior ministry.

Over 30 individuals lost their lives and 100 sustained injuries in armed confrontations in Sweida, Syria, which is mainly Druze, according to the Syrian interior ministry on Monday morning, marking the latest instance of sectarian violence.

The violence broke out following a series of kidnappings, which included the capture of a Druze trader on Friday along the route connecting Damascus to Sweida, according to witnesses. This marks the first instance of sectarian clashes occurring within the city of Sweida, the provincial capital of the predominantly Druze region.

In April, battles erupted between Sunni militants and armed Druze inhabitants of Jaramana, southeast of Damascus, eventually extending to another area close to the provincial capital.

The confrontations between Bedouin tribal fighters and Druze militias took place mainly in the Maqwas area east of Sweida, where Bedouin tribes reside, and were subsequently surrounded by armed Druze factions before being captured.

The Syrian interior ministry announced that its troops will initiate direct action in Sweida to address the conflict, urging local factions in the Druze city to work alongside the security forces. Residents reported that armed Bedouin tribesmen also carried out assaults on Druze villages located on the western and northern edges of the city.

A medical source informed Reuters that a minimum of 15 bodies were transported to the morgue at the state hospital in Sweida. Approximately 50 individuals sustained injuries, and several were taken to Deraa city for treatment.

The violence represented the most recent incident of sectarian bloodshed in Syria, where anxieties among minority groups have increased since Islamist-led rebels ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December and established their own government and security apparatus.

Those worries escalated after the deaths of hundreds of Alawites in March, seemingly as revenge for a previous assault executed by Assad supporters.  It was the deadliest sectarian flare-up in years in Syria, where a 14-year civil war ended last December with Assad fleeing to Russia after his government was overthrown by rebel forces.