In the aftermath of intense sectarian fighting, the eerily silent streets of Syria's southern province of Sweida are filled with the stench of decaying bodies left uncollected for days amid scenes of charred buildings and burned-out cars.

The main hospital in the southern Syrian city of Sweida is overwhelmed with trauma patients and working without adequate power or water after the local Druze minority clashed almost two weeks ago with Bedouin and government forces.

"Trust must exist first and foremost," Syrian Democratic Council representative to the U.S. Sinam Mohamad told Newsweek.

Syrian rescuers and war monitors say an explosion at an ammunition depot in the country's north killed at least seven people and wounded scores.

Kate Adie introduces stories from Syria, Lebanon, Chile, Pakistan and France.

Syria under President Ahmad Sharaa remains far from achieving genuine national reconciliation, a meaningful political settlement and unity, analysts say.

Sky News' Alex Crawford reported from Sweida in Syria, a city torn apart by tribal and political warfare, with civilians trapped in the crossfire.

Seven months of relative calm in Syria came to a bloody end last week, when what began as local skirmishes escalated into the worst fighting since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad in December.