Clashes that shook southern Syria this week have killed hundreds of people, including civilians, and drawn in an array of both local and international players, harking back to the dynamics of the country’s nearly 14-year civil war.

I can't keep up with the calls coming in about the dead,' says one Sweida resident; Druze of south Syria say bodies 'littered the streets' as they return home amid tense ceasefire

The conflict had drawn airstrikes against Syrian forces by neighboring Israel in defense of the Druze before a truce halted most of the fighting.

The Syrian presidency has accused Druze fighters in Sweida of violating a ceasefire that prompted the withdrawal of Syrian government forces from the region. In a strongly worded statement, Damascus condemned the alleged violence by these factions and blamed Israeli interference for escalating the situation.

Israeli Druze breached the Israel-Syria border fence in the Golan Heights and walked towards Syria on July 16after local calls to help Druze in Syria after a surge in violence in the neighbouring country.