Part 9/13:
The violence originated on Sunday when local Drews and Sunni Islamist Bedouin fighters clashed, later drawing in government forces and backing from radical elements. The Drews, an Arab minority with followers in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, generally maintain a reputation for loyalty within Israel’s armed forces. However, tensions escalated as fighting intensified, prompting Israeli military strikes against Syrian government targets—aimed at defending the Drews and preventing the collapse of stability along their border.