Small community torn between fear of encroaching war and leadership calls to avoid getting involved
Lebanon's Druze sect is torn between a desire to defend itself against the encroaching civil war in neighboring Syria and calls from its leadership not to get involved.
Fresh battles over the border late last week killed at least 31 members of pro-government forces and 14 insurgents, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said on Saturday.
In view of these recent battles between extremists affiliated with Jabhat al-Nusra and IS against the Syrian army, a small unit of Druze militants participated in live-fire exercises and combat training in one of the valleys of the Metn Mountains, according to sources cited by Al-Monitor.he Druze in Syria largely support President Bashar al-Assad, preferring his rule to that of Islamic extremists. They have in the past even clashed with jihadist insurgents in areas close to the border with Lebanon.