The violence was the first major incident to emerge after the ouster of longtime President Bashar Assad in December.

Amid the recent outbreak of Syrian government-sponsored violence targeting the Druze minority, the dire plight of minorities, including Christians and Kurds, continues to warrant concern.

Hikmat al-Hijri is a religious leader of the Druze minority in Syria. His flip-flopping politics and calls for Israeli intervention during recent fighting saw him branded as both a traitor and a hero.