Pakistan, July 14 -- At least 30 people have died and over 100 were injured in violent sectarian clashes in Syria's Druze-majority city of Sweida, according to the Syrian Interior Ministry. The fighting broke out following a wave of kidnappings, including the abduction of a Druze merchant on Friday along the Damascus-Sweida highway.

This is the first time such intense sectarian violence has erupted within Sweida city itself. Clashes between Bedouin tribal fighters and armed Druze militias were centered in the Maqwas neighborhood, an area populated by Bedouin tribes. Druze fighters eventually surrounded and seized control of the district, further intensifying tensions.

The interior ministry has now announced plans for direct intervention...