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.

Israeli forces launched air strikes on Suwayda in southern Syria on Tuesday, hours after the Syrian government announced a ceasefire to halt ongoing clashes in the predominantly Druze city. Syria’s Ministry of Interior accused Israel of backing armed groups

Washington and Jerusalem have kept a watchful eye on Damascus ever since the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime by Sunni Muslim rebels in December. Of greatest concern has been the level of solidarity the new Syrian government maintains with ISIS — the terrorist organization that Syrian interim president