▁Christians , ▁She ikh ▁Ah med ▁al - T urk ▁led ▁a ▁force ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 ▁tribes men ▁to ▁D ara a , ▁res cu ing ▁the ▁over ▁ 5 0 0 ▁Christians ▁in ▁that ▁town ▁from ▁an ▁imp ending ▁attack ▁by ▁the ▁Dru ze ▁of ▁the ▁Le j ah ▁who ▁his ▁forces ▁successfully ▁rout ed . ▁He ▁subsequently ▁not ified ▁all ▁the ▁trib al ▁ch ie ft ains ▁of ▁the ▁area ▁to ▁spare ▁the ▁Christians ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁towns ▁under ▁his ▁authority , ▁to ▁which ▁all ▁the ▁tribes ▁conform ed . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁al - Sh ay kh ▁M ask in ▁became ▁a ▁refuge ▁for ▁the ▁residents ▁of ▁some ▁dozen ▁villages ▁destroyed ▁by ▁Dru ze ▁f igh ters ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁an ▁Ott oman ▁dec ree ▁ordering ▁the ▁cons cription ▁of ▁Dru ze ▁men ▁into ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁army . ▁Ott oman ▁troops ▁mobil ized ▁at ▁al - Sh ay kh ▁M ask in ▁in ▁prepar ation ▁of ▁the ▁cons cription ▁expedition ▁against ▁the ▁Dru ze ▁which ▁was ▁launched ▁from ▁the ▁town ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁October . ▁V ital ▁Cu inet ▁wrote ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁that ▁al - Sh ay kh ▁M ask in ' s ▁population ▁of ▁ 8 0 0 ▁included ▁ 4 0 0 ▁Muslim s ▁and ▁ 4 0 0 ▁Greek ▁Orth odox , ▁ ▁while ▁Gott lie b ▁Sch um acher ▁described ▁it ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁as ▁" large ▁and ▁prosper ous ".