Dozens of people have been killed in armed clashes between Sunni Bedouin tribal fighters and Druze militias in southern Syria, according to local media reports.
The violence erupted in the predominantly Druze city in the province of Suweida on Sunday, two days after a Druze merchant was reportedly abducted on the highway to Damascus.
The interior ministry said security forces had been deployed to restore calm but fighting continued in western parts of the province on Monday.
It is the latest outbreak of deadly sectarian violence in the country since Islamist-led rebel forces overthrew President Bashar al-Assad in December.