Syria's defence minister on Tuesday morning announced a truce between local Druze militias, government forces, and Bedouin tribes in the southern Syrian province of Suweida, shortly after government forces entered the provincial capital following two days of clashes that killed dozens of people.
"We are announcing a complete ceasefire after agreement with the city's notables and dignitaries," Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said in a statement.
"We will respond only to the sources of fire and deal with any targeting by outlaw groups," he said.
Government forces began entering the Druze-majority city on Tuesday following fighting between Druze militias and mostly Sunni Bedouin tribes.
Hundreds of people have been killed and injured in the clashes, which began in the Al-Muqawas area of Suweida city on Sunday.
The violence spread to the Suweida countryside, where armed groups reportedly raided villages, attacked a government checkpoint, and blocked the main road to Damascus.
The government responded by deploying security forces into the province, capturing several Druze villages and moving into Suweida province.
Before the clashes, Suweida province had been mostly under the control of local militias.
The defence ministry has said that at least 18 members of the security forces have been killed in the violence, with clashes continuing to the west of the city on Tuesday ahead of the ceasefire announcement.
There has been division among the Druze leadership about how to respond to the government's push into the province.
In a statement on Monday, the Druze Spiritual Presidency, which represents the community's religious leadership, welcomed the deployment of government forces and urged militias to surrender their weapons.
A spokesperson for the Men of Dignity – one of the largest Druze armed groups – said on Monday that it was in talks with the government to reach a ceasefire.
"Negotiations are underway between the notables of the city of Suweida and representatives of the general security [forces] and the Defence Ministry to reach a solution," Bassem Fakhr told AFP.
However, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri - one of the three Druze spiritual leaders in the province – has come out against their presence in Suweida and called for "international protection".
In a video published on Tuesday, he claimed the presidency's statement was issued under pressure from Damascus and accused the government of waging a "comprehensive war of extermination" against the Druze.
Al-Hijri's remarks came amid Israeli threats to intervene in Syria on the pretext of protecting the Druze.
The Israeli military has launched a series of airstrikes against Syrian military targets since the fighting began. On Monday it bombed several tanks deployed west of Suweida. A new round of raids was reported in the province on Tuesday.
Druze leaders have been divided about how to engage with the new Syrian government amid concerns about its Sunni Islamist background and its policies towards minorities.
Damascus has been in talks with the community over reintegrating Suweida province, which has had a degree of autonomy for years, into national institutions such as the army, although the negotiations are yet to bear fruit.
Several groups, including the Men of Dignity, have said they are willing to join the army while Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri and his followers remain opposed to the government.