Israel Strikes Damascus Amid Syria Druze Clashes/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Israel launched rare airstrikes on Syria’s Defense Ministry in Damascus while fierce battles rage between government forces and Druze militias in Sweida. The violence threatens Syria’s fragile stability following Bashar Assad’s fall. The Druze minority faces mounting casualties, triggering protests and international concern.
Israel Strikes Damascus Quick Looks
- Israel bombs Syria’s Defense Ministry in central Damascus.
- Clashes intensify between Syrian government forces and Druze militias.
- Violence threatens Syria’s new leadership post-Assad.
- Israeli troops redeployed from Gaza to Golan Heights.
- Druze fear for families trapped in Sweida fighting.
- Civilian casualties and alleged executions reported in Sweida.
- Israel vows more strikes if regime forces remain near border.
- Druze in Golan Heights protest violence against Syrian kin.
Israel Strikes Damascus Amid Syria Druze Clashes
Deep Look
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — In a dramatic escalation of regional tensions, Israeli fighter jets carried out rare airstrikes deep in the heart of Damascus on Wednesday, striking the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters. The bold attack came as fierce battles continued between government forces and Druze militias in the southern city of Sweida, adding a dangerous new layer to Syria’s already complex conflict.
Syrian state media reported that at least 13 people were wounded in the airstrike, which struck the fortified Defense Ministry compound in central Damascus. Just hours before, a drone had reportedly targeted the same facility. Another Israeli strike struck near the presidential palace nestled in the hills outside the capital.
The Israeli military confirmed the airstrikes, with Defense Minister Israel Katz declaring on social media that “the painful blows have begun.” An Israeli military official, speaking anonymously, said that Israel was preparing for “a multitude of scenarios” and had already begun pulling an entire brigade — thousands of soldiers — out of Gaza to redeploy them to the Golan Heights.
Sweida Becomes a Flashpoint
While Israel flexes its military might, the situation in southern Syria continues to spiral. Clashes have raged for days in Sweida, a predominantly Druze city that has seen government forces engage in heavy combat with armed Druze factions.
Israel has reportedly conducted dozens of strikes in southern Syria in recent weeks, targeting Syrian government convoys and military positions. Israeli officials insist the attacks are aimed at protecting the Druze minority, whom Israel considers an essential buffer and a historic community with close ties to Druze citizens inside Israel.
The latest bloodshed threatens Syria’s fragile stability following the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar Assad last December, which ended nearly 14 years of civil war. The country’s new leadership is struggling to assert control amid sectarian tensions and fragmented loyalties across ethnic and religious lines.
Druze Caught in the Crossfire
In towns across southern Syria, Druze civilians are paying the price for the escalating violence. Communication blackouts have left many families desperate for information about loved ones trapped in besieged areas.
Evelyn Azzam, a 20-year-old Druze woman living in Jaramana near Damascus, recounted the harrowing last moments she shared on the phone with her husband, Robert Kiwan, 23, who became trapped in Sweida after violence erupted.
“They shot my husband in the hip from what I could gather,” Azzam told The Associated Press, her voice shaking. “The ambulance took him to the hospital. Since then, we have no idea what has happened.”
Other Druze living abroad are equally fearful. A Druze woman in the United Arab Emirates said her mother, father, and sister were hiding in a basement near Sweida’s hospital as gunfire and explosions echoed outside.
“I heard them cry. I have never heard them this way before,” she said through tears.
Another Druze woman, also in the UAE, said her cousin reported that a house containing several family members was set ablaze, killing those inside. The horror brought back memories of the Islamic State’s 2018 attack on Sweida, when civilians armed themselves to repel the militants while Assad’s forces largely stood aside.
“It’s the same right now,” she said. “The Druze fighters are just people who are protecting their province and their families.”
Sectarian Violence Escalates
The current violence in Sweida originated from tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze factions. Government forces attempting to restore order soon found themselves in direct combat with Druze fighters.
Disturbing videos circulating online show government-affiliated soldiers forcibly shaving Druze religious leaders’ mustaches, stepping on Druze flags, and defacing portraits of prominent clerics. Meanwhile, other footage shows Druze fighters beating captured government troops and posing beside their lifeless bodies.
AP journalists witnessed burned homes and looted shops on the outskirts of Sweida, underlining the chaos gripping the region.
No official Syrian casualty figures have emerged since Monday, when the Interior Ministry reported 30 deaths. However, the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates over 250 deaths so far, including four children, five women, and 138 soldiers and security personnel. At least 21 were reportedly executed in “field executions.”
Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, condemned the violence, calling it “criminal and illegal” and pledging to bring perpetrators to justice.
“These criminal and illegal actions cannot be accepted under any circumstances,” al-Sharaa stated. “We will never allow this to happen without punishment.”
Israel’s Strategic Calculus
Israel’s involvement comes amid deep strategic calculations. Israel has long feared Islamist militants gaining footholds near its northern border. Following Assad’s fall, Israeli officials have moved swiftly to establish control over a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria and have launched hundreds of strikes targeting suspected arms shipments and military positions.
On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Katz vowed further strikes if Syrian government troops do not pull back from areas near the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.
“The Israeli army will continue to attack regime forces until they withdraw from the area — and we will soon raise the bar of responses against the regime if the message is not understood,” Katz warned.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s commitment to keeping the southwestern region of Syria demilitarized and to “safeguard the Druze locals.”
Druze in the Golan Protest
In the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, Druze residents gathered along the border fence in visible solidarity with their Syrian brethren, waving flags and chanting slogans. The Druze community, which originated as a 10th-century offshoot of Shiite Islam, numbers about one million globally, with more than half residing in Syria. The rest live mainly in Lebanon and Israel, including the Golan Heights, which Israel seized from Syria during the 1967 Mideast War and later annexed.
As battles rage and regional powers weigh their next moves, the fate of Syria’s Druze minority hangs in the balance — caught between a government seeking to reassert power and a neighbor willing to intervene militarily to protect them.
You must Register or Login to post a comment.