The Syrian government has begun withdrawing its forces from the majority-Druze city of Suwayda, according to the country's state-run SANA news agency. A ceasefire with Druze militia has also been announced but it is "unclear" whether it will hold, said CNN.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was an agreement to restore calm in Syria by late Wednesday, as he blamed misunderstandings over violence that included Israeli strikes on its neighbor's capital.