After five days of hunkering down at his home in the southern city of Sweida, 33-year-old Hossam emerged on Thursday and drove around to survey the damage. Wherever he went, the smell of death lingered.

In Syria's Druze city of Sweida, sectarian violence has led to numerous deaths, with government forces clashing with Druze militia. The violence worsened after the government's arrival, deepening distrust of the Islamist-led government in Damascus.

After days of bloodshed in Syria's Druze city of Sweida, survivors emerged on Thursday to collect and bury the scores of dead found across the city. A ceasefire overnight brought an end to ferocious fighting between Druze militia and government forces sent to the city to quell clashes between Druze and Bedouin fighters.

Clashes that shook southern Syria this week have killed hundreds of people, including civilians, and drawn in an array of both local and international players, harking back to the dynamics of the coun

Defence ministry troops carried out executions and other violations against both civilians and Druze fighters prior to agreeing to a ceasefire, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group.

Syria’s defense minister has announced a ceasefire after government forces entered a key city in Sweida province on Tuesday.

Syrian government officials and leaders in the Druze religious minority announced Wednesday a renewed cease-fire after days of clashes that have threatened to unravel the country’s postwar political transition and have drawn intervention by Syria’s powerful neighbor,