Four days of clashes between pro-government gunmen and members of a minority sect in Syria have left nearly 100 people dead and raised fears of deadly sectarian violence. The country is deeply divided as it tries to emerge from decades of dictatorship.

Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri has harshly criticized Syria’s government for what he called an “unjustified genocidal attack” during deadly sectarian fighting in Druze-majority areas so

Israel said it carried out a strike in Syria against "an extremist group" that attacked members of the Druze community, following through on a promise to defend the minority group as deadly sectarian violence spread near Damascus on Wednesday.