Israel said it carried out a strike in Syria against extremists who attacked members of the Druze community, following through on a promise to protect the minority group as sectarian violence spread near Damascus on Wednesday.

The strikes were south of Damascus, where Syrian security forces say they are battling gunmen from the religious minority.

Gunmen patrolled the streets of the Jaramana suburb on Wednesday, while some shops stayed closed, a day after clashes broke out between local gunmen belonging to the minority Druze sect and pro-government fighters.