ALEPPO, Syria — During a Jan. 25 phone call to discuss the fate of Druze detainees from Suwayda held by the regime, the regional head of military intelligence for the Syrian regime, Brig. Gen. Luay al-Ali, insulted Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, the spiritual leader of the Druze community, prompting him to end the call. No details were provided pertaining to the nature of the insult.

The Sheikhdom of the Unitarian Druze Community in south Syria's Suwayda governorate said in a statement on Facebook, “High-ranking figures in the state offered an apology and ensured that this mistake has been mended in all its dimensions.”

“What happened happened, and fences were mended, as things should be by respecting people’s rightful demands. We hope that everyone would abide by our directives for calm and to avoid escalation and strife,” the statement added. 

Tension began to escalate in the community, as people were outraged by the insult. People tore up pictures of President Bashar al-Assad and wrote anti-regime phrases and slogans against the Iranian presence in the governorate. People also took to social media to express their anger.