Nearly 40 people have been killed in sectarian violence over the past two days in Jaramana and Sahnaya just outside Damascus.
According to the Syrian Human Rights Observatory (SOHR) and several other sources, the clashes are between the minority group of Druze and armed groups linked to the authorities.
The state news agency Sana claims that the violence erupted when unspecified groups attacked civilians and the authorities' security forces.
Israeli "warning"
Israel has carried out a strike in Syria, described as a warning to those attacking the Druze.
A stern message was sent to the Syrian regime: Israel expects it to act to prevent harm to the Druze," reads a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.
Three wounded Druze have been evacuated from Syria to Israel for medical treatment, according to the Israeli military.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt is urging the Druze in Syria to reject Israel's involvement, in order to protect the minority.
Israel has taken a slightly larger step into Syria since the power shift in December, where dictator Bashar al-Assad was overthrown.
In March, battles and massacres took place in areas populated by many from the Shia minority of Alawites. Israel's military has since accused Syrian government forces of attacking the Druze and said it is ready to intervene.
Audio clip sparks outrage
Syria's Islamist government promises to protect all groups in society, including the Druze minority.
The new rulers in Syria present themselves as more moderate Islamists who want to meet religious division with tolerance. However, in their armed leadership and associated groups, there are still many Sunni Muslim extremists.
An audio clip that spread on social media is reported to have been a spark for the recent sectarian violence.
In the unverified clip, a man is heard insulting the Muslim prophet Muhammad. The man heard is said to be Druze.
The majority of Syrians are Arabs and most are Sunni Muslims.
However, the country is also inhabited by a number of other ethnic groups, including Greeks, Armenians, Assyrians/Syriacs, Kurds, and Turks. Religious groups include, among others, Sunnis, Christians, Druze, Shiites, Yazidis, Jews, and Alawites.
The Alawites are an Arab minority that practices a unique version of Shia Islam. The ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad belonged to the Alawites and often placed his co-religionists in key positions in the state apparatus.
Before the outbreak of war in 2011, the Alawites made up around 10-12 percent of the population.
The Druze are an ethnic group that practices a special form of Islam, with Gnostic elements. Most of the world's Druze live in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.
Source: The Foreign Policy Institute, NE
