At the center of a crisis in Syria are the Druze — a secretive religious minority that long carved out a precarious identity across Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

In southern Syria, the government has deployed security forces and pleaded for all sides to stick to a ceasefire after sectarian clashes this week. Despite this, fighting between Druze groups and Arab fighters and Bedouin tribes continues.

In Syria, Druze fighters have clashed both with neighbouring Bedouin tribes and with forces loyal to the Islamist government, as they have struggled to find their place in the new order ushered in by the December overthrow of longtime president Bashar al-Assad.

The White House is attributing the outbreak of violence in the Middle East between the Syrian government and Israel to a "misunderstanding" over ethnic grudges.

The Druze faith has deep connection to Greek philosophy, especially Pythagorean and Platonic thought, and its belief in reincarnation.

Sharaa, has vowed to protect the Druze minority amid deadly clashes in their heartland. A UK-based war monitor has put the death toll from the sectarian violence at 360. DW has more.

Sana says women and children among those killed by armed groups following withdrawal of government forces in Sweida

The Druze, a small but significant religious minority, straddle the complex political landscape of Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan. Their influence is notable in regional politics, amid rising violence in Syria.

Syrian minority the Druze were at the centre of a new conflict, following another outbreak of violence. What began as fighting between local Bedouin groups and Druze turned into an international conflict that saw Israel bombing

After days of bloodshed in Syria's Druze city of Sweida, survivors emerged to collect and bury the scores of dead found across the city.