Blood in the streets, smashed windows and the smell of corpses in the air: A resident of the southern city of Sweida describes the aftermath of a wave of sectarian violence.

Syrian officials and Druze leaders have announced a new ceasefire after days of violent clashes, but Israel has continued its airstrikes after intervening.

The Israel Defense Forces said it struck "the entrance" of Syria's military headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday.

Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of undermining Syrian unity and promised to protect the Druze minority amidst escalating conflicts involving government forces, Druze fighters, and Bedouin tribes.

Israel carried out a series of powerful strikes on the Syrian capital Damascus Wednesday, escalating a campaign it says is in support of an Arab minority group involved in deadly clashes with Syrian government forces.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated the success of his "peace through strength" stance against Syria in the wake of Druze violence.

The Israeli entity resorted to a wide-scale targeting of civilian and government facilities,” Shaara said the situation was easing with the intervention of the US, Arab, and Turkish mediators.

An AFP photographer counted 15 bodies on the street in the centre of Sweida today after government forces pulled out. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said more than 370 people have been killed in sectarian clashes in the city since Sunday.