A war monitor and an activist group say clashes broke out in the Syrian capital between local gunmen belonging to the minority Druze sect and pro-government fighters.

Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri has harshly criticized Syria’s government for what he called an “unjustified genocidal attack” during deadly sectarian fighting in Druze-majority areas so

The clashes come as Syria’s new rulers are trying to establish their authority, and contending with well-armed militias and Israeli troops determined to keep government forces out.