Fierce fighting reignited in the Druze-dominated areas of southern Syria on Friday after tens of thousands of Bedouin tribesmen across the country mobilized to crush Druze rebels.

After days of fierce fighting, the Syrian government withdrew from the Druze stronghold of Suwayda after announcing a ceasefire. The Druze Suwayda Military Council was successful in the first round of fighting, backed by heavy Israeli airstrikes that devastated government convoys and hit government buildings in Damascus. Shortly after the government withdrew, however, dozens of allied Bedouin tribes announced a general mobilization across Syria, sending tens of thousands of fighters to take the south.