The Syrian defence ministry said on Tuesday it was aware of reports of "shocking violations" by people wearing military fatigues in the country's predominantly Druze city of Sweida, and said it would launch an investigation.

Relatives and officials say a Syrian-American man of the Druze religious minority is among dozens of civilians killed in sectarian clashes in southern Syria.

A Syrian-American who was taking care of his ill father was among the eight Druze men kidnapped from their family home and “executed’ in the middle of the street, harrowing video shows.

Members of the Syrian American community in Portland are grieving the loss of loved ones following attacks in southern Syria.

Video circulating online and verified by NBC News showed Hosam Saraya, 35, and six male relatives being made to kneel before they were gunned down.

Syria's southern city of Sweida witnesses a fragile ceasefire after deadly battles between Druze militiamen and Bedouin fighters. The conflict displaced over 128,000 people. While evacuation efforts are underway,

Syria's Islamist-led government said its security forces were deploying in the predominantly Druze southern city of Sweida on Saturday and urged all parties to respect a ceasefire after days of factional bloodshed in which hundreds have been killed.

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 country’s nearly 14-year civil war.