Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa promised to protect the rights of Druze citizens on Thursday as a ceasefire appeared to be holding in the country's south following U.S. intervention to end fighting between government forces and Druze fighters.
Overnight, the Islamist-led government's troops withdrew from the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, where scores of people have been killed in days of conflict pitting local fighters against the Damascus authorities and Bedouin tribes.
The violence in Syria escalated sharply on Wednesday as Israel launched airstrikes in Damascus while pressing attacks on government forces in the south, demanding they withdraw and saying Israel aimed to protect Syria's Druze minority.
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