PROTESTS in Syria’s Druze-majority Sweida province turned violent on Sunday, wounding seven and leading to the deaths of a protester and a police officer.

Anti-government demonstrations have occurred in province over the past few years, with tensions simmering between residents and the Syrian government, led by President Bashar Assad.

Dozens of residents gathered by the Sweida governorate building, protesting against the desperate economic situation in the country and chanting anti-government slogans before some broke into the building.