Fighting escalated in Syria Saturday in the predominantly Druze region of Sweida as the government struggled to implement a ceasefire. Machine gun fire and mortar shelling rang out with Reuters reporters witnessing shells land in nearby villages. Reuters noted there was no immediate or confirmed report of casualties. The fighting comes after nearly a week of bloodshed around Sweida which has left at least 940 people dead, The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, Reutersreported. Reuters noted they were unable to verify the death toll provided by the observatory. The clashes are reportedly between Syrian Bedouin tribes and theDruze, a religious minority in southern Syria, parts of Lebanon and Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The fighting has caught the attention of Israel, whichcarried out airstrikeson the Defense Ministry in Damascus and in southernSyriathis week. Israel proclaimed it is protecting the Druze who make up a significant minority in Israel, Reuters reported.(RELATED: Reporter Ducks Mid-Broadcast As Israeli Strike Slams Syrian Defense HQ) The Syrian president announced a ceasefire Saturday which was then violated by armed groups outside Sweida, The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said,according tothe New York Times. "The Syrian state has managed to calm the situation despite difficult circumstances," President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced in a televised address, per the New York Times. "The Israeli intervention has pushed the country into a dangerous phase that poses a threat to its stability." The president called the recent sectarian violence a "dangerous turning point" for Syria, the outlet reported. Sharaa seemed to blame the Druze for the recent clashes, calling the fighting revenge against Bedouins, according to Reuters. On Friday, U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrackannounceda ceasefire between Syria and Israel in a post on X. "We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbors,"Barrackwrote. Barrack, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani agreed Syria would need support in implementing the agreement. "These practical steps include consolidating the ceasefire, deploying Syrian security forces in Suwayda Governorate, releasing detainees held by all parties, advancing community reconciliation efforts, promoting civil peace, and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid," a post on Barrack's X accountstated. The fighting is a recent challenge to the control of Sharaa's Islamist-dominated government, which took control in December after rebels took down autocratic president Bashar al-Assad, Reuters reported.