With more than 100 people killed this week in a region controlled by the Druse minority, Druse leaders signaled new willingness to join forces with the Sunni Muslim-dominated government.

Syria's minority groups are in a new era following the fall of the Assad regime. Syria is a diverse country with an estimated population of about 24.3 million as of 2024, according to the United Nations Population Fund and the US government.

The clashes were sparked by a purported recording of a Druze man cursing the Prophet Mohammad which angered Sunni gunmen, rescuers and security sources said.