Deadly clashes between Islamist armed factions, security forces and fighters from the Druze religious minority near Damascus are another sign of the continuing fragility of the security situation in Syria after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.
Outside players have once again been involved, with Israel saying it carried out air strikes to protect Druze civilians.
It marks another fault-line in Syria, which has been left fractured and divided in the wake of 13 years of devastating civil war and decades of authoritarian rule by the Assad dynasty.
The new Syrian authorities have said they are determined to bring unity and stability, but many inside and outside the country still point to their roots in jihadism and remain suspicious of their agenda.
