Syria's defense minister has announced a ceasefire just hours after government forces entered a key city in the volatile Sweida province.

Syrian troops pulled out of the Druze heartland of Sweida on the orders of the Islamist-led government, following days of deadly clashes that killed nearly 600 people, according to a war monitor.

The conflict had drawn airstrikes against Syrian forces by neighboring Israel in defense of the Druze before a truce halted most of the fighting.

At least 594 people have been killed in southern Syria's Sweida province following days of intense fighting between Druze fighters, government forces and Bedouin groups, according to a war monitor.

Sectarian violence erupted again in southern Syria as local Sunni Bedouin tribes fought armed factions for the Druze religious community. The Syrian government dispatched troops to restore order, and Israel launched airstrikes to protect the Druze.

"If Israel feels that a certain leader...is an evident threat to its national security, it will operate," a former Israeli envoy told Newsweek.

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

At least 18 members of Syria's security forces have been killed in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, the Defence Ministry said, after they deployed to quell deadly sectarian clashes that had resumed on Monday,

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

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says progress has been made to resolve the fighting in southern Syria that broke out over the weekend and has reportedly left more than 300 dead. "We have engaged all the parties involved in the clashes in Syria,