ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria on Thursday urged de-escalation around Damascus, holding the government responsible for the spiralling sectarian violence.

Deadly clashes have been ongoing in the Damascus suburb of Sahnaya, a predominantly Druze and Christian town.

Clashes between Druze gunmen and security forces-affiliated personnel have left dozens people dead, with the violence beginning in the Jaramana neighborhood of the capital on Monday amid an uptick in sectarian unrest following the dissemination of a controversial audio clip, purportedly of a Druze individual, that included remarks deemed blasphemous and slanderous to the Prophet Mohammed.

The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the political wing of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), said in a statement that it follows with "deep concern and caution the dangerous military escalation taking place in the Ashrafieh Sahnaya and Jaramana areas of the Damascus countryside, which threatens to expand the circle of violence into the heart of the Syrian capital."

"The Syrian Democratic Council condemns in the strongest terms the killing, intimidation, hate speech, and sectarian incitement. It calls on all parties to cease fire and calm down, and holds the Damascus authorities fully responsible for the worsening situation,” it added.

"The excessive use of force will bring Syria to the brink of collapse,” the SDC warned, urging Damascus to "maintain security, cease ongoing hostilities, and eliminate the sources of sectarian incitement and hate speech.”

The deadly violence has drawn massive condemnation on a regional and international level.

United Nations special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen condemned the violence as "unacceptable" and expressed alarm at "the potential for further escalation of an extremely fragile situation."

A subsequent meeting between the Damascus government and Druze leaders saw an agreement whereby the former vowed to pursue those culpable for the attacks.

The Druze are a religious minority that lives 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. Druze religious tenets emphasize divine unity, a belief in reincarnation, and the eternity of the soul.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the rebel group that spearheaded a December offensive that saw former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad deposed, now comprises the bulk of the Syrian military. HTS leader and current Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa sparked concerns amongst the international community upon his ascension to power due to his former ties with the al-Qaeda extremist organization. However, his administration has repeatedly promised inclusive and tolerant rule for all ethnic and religious minorities in the country.

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