Four days of clashes in the Druze city of Sweida have now reached a possible turning point. There were attempts to reach a ceasefire in Sweida on Tuesday; however, the continued clashes and videos of Druze being abused and killed in fighting are leading to a possible spillover.

Clashes between Druze fighters and pro-government forces in Syria have intensified into a violent urban assault, leaving scores dead, in some of the worst fighting involving the religious minority. Backed by tribal militias and extremist factions,

Syria’s Defense Ministry blamed militias in Sweida for violating a cease-fire agreement that had been reached Tuesday, causing Syrian army soldiers to return fire and continue military operations in the Druze-majority province.

DAMASCUS (Reuters) -Poor infrastructure, regional conflict and sporadic Israeli airstrikes are holding back more airlines from returning to Syria, industry officials told Reuters, hampering efforts to rebuild a shattered economy after 14 years of civil war.

In a direct message to the Druze community of Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged restraint and warned against crossing into Syrian territory, amid escalating violence in the southwestern Syrian city of Sweida.

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Clashes between Bedouin tribes, government forces and members of a minority sect in Syria have left dozens dead and once again raised fears of a breakdown in the country's fragile postwar order. The country is deeply divided as it tries to emerge from decades of dictatorship and nearly 14 years of civil war.

Sectarian violence erupted again in southern Syria as local Sunni Bedouin tribes fought armed factions for the Druze religious community. The Syrian government dispatched troops to restore order, and Israel launched airstrikes to protect the Druze.

An Israeli airstrike hit next to the presidential palace in Syria's capital Damascus on Wednesday, according to a Reuters witness.