Four days of clashes between pro-government gunmen and members of a minority sect in Syria have left nearly 100 people dead and raised fears of deadly sectarian violence.

Israel said it carried out a strike in Syria against "an extremist group" that attacked members of the Druze community, following through on a promise to defend the minority group as deadly sectarian violence spread near Damascus on Wednesday.

A further five Syrian Druze, who were apparently wounded during sectarian violence in the country, were evacuated by the Israeli military to a hospital overnight, the IDF says.According to reports from Syria,