The clashes are the first outbreak of deadly violence in the area since fighting between members of the Druze community and the security forces killed dozens of people in April and May.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least eight people had been killed, six of them Druze and two of them Bedouin.

Citing medical sources, local outlet Sweida 24 gave a preliminary toll of seven people killed, "including a child, and about 32 others wounded as a result of armed clashes and mutual shelling in the Maqus neighbourhood", east of Sweida city.

The outlet also reported the closure of the Damascus-Sweida highway due to the violence.

A Syrian government source, who asked to remain anonymous as they were not allowed to brief the media, told AFP that authorities were sending forces to de-escalate the situation.

Sweida Governor Mustapha al-Bakur called on his constituents to "exercise self-restraint and respond to national calls for reform".

Syria's Druze population numbers around 700,000, with Sweida home to the sect's largest community.

Bedouin and Druze factions have a longstanding feud in Sweida, with violence occasionally erupting between the two.

Since the overthrow of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, concerns have been raised over the rights and safety of minorities under the new Islamist authorities, who have also struggled to re-establish security more broadly.

Clashes between the new security forces and Druze fighters in April and May killed dozens of people, with local leaders and religious figures signing agreements to contain the escalation and better integrate Druze fighters into the new government.