Fresh clashes erupt in Syria as govt tries to ease tensions

NEW outbreaks of violence overnight into Sunday rocked Syria at two distinct flashpoints, straining a fragile cease-fire and calling into question the ability of the transitional government to exert its authority across the whole country.

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In the north, government-affiliated fighters confronted Kurdish-led forces who control much of the region, while in the southern province of Sweida, they clashed with Druze armed groups. The outbreaks come at a time when Syria's interim authorities are trying to maintain a tense ceasefire in Sweida province after clashes with Druze factions last month, and to implement an agreement with the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces that would reintegrate large swaths of northeastern Syria with the rest of the country.