 "Syrian government security forces gather on the outskirts of Sweida province. AP")
Armed groups attacked Syrian internal security forces in Sweida, killing one and injuring others, and fired shells at numerous communities in the violence-hit southern province, state-run Ekhbariya TV reported on Sunday.
According to a security source quoted in the article, the armed factions had broken the truce in the mostly Druze area, where hundreds of people were killed by factional violence last month.
On July 13, violence broke out in Sweida between tribal warriors and Druze factions. Government forces were dispatched to quiet the conflict, but the violence escalated, and Israel launched strikes against Syrian troops in the name of the Druze.
The Druze are a minority offshoot of Islam with followers in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. Sweida province is predominantly Druze but is also home to Sunni tribes, and the communities have had long-standing tensions over land and other resources.
A U.S.-brokered truce ended the fighting, which had raged in Sweida city and surrounding towns for nearly a week. Syria said it would investigate the clashes, setting up a committee to investigate the attacks.
The Sweida bloodshed last month was a major test for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, after a wave of sectarian violence in March that killed hundreds of Alawite citizens in the coastal region.