Israel Strikes Syrian Army HQ in Damascus After Warning Over Druze Attacks
In a sharp escalation of regional tensions, Israel has bombed the Syrian military’s headquarters in Damascus, following warnings to the Syrian government to end its offensive against the Druze minority in the southern province of Sweida.
The Israeli airstrike, confirmed late Tuesday, came just hours after Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel would act if Damascus continued to target Druze communities amid spiraling sectarian clashes.
“Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria,” Katz said. “We will enforce the demilitarisation policy, and if the message is not understood, we will escalate our responses against the regime.”
The Israeli military later issued a statement confirming the operation:
“A short while ago, the IDF struck the entrance of the Syrian regime’s military headquarters in the Damascus area.”
The airstrike follows days of intense fighting in Sweida, a predominantly Druze region, where local reports and monitors say nearly 250 people have been killed in ongoing clashes between government forces, Bedouin militias, and Druze fighters.
Syrian government troops reportedly entered the city on Tuesday under the pretext of enforcing a ceasefire agreed with Druze leaders. However, multiple eyewitness accounts indicate that regime forces soon aligned with Bedouin groups, launching attacks on Druze fighters and civilians in what has been described as a “rampage.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported mass casualties and accused government forces of summary executions during the assault.
This latest violence marks the most serious outbreak in southern Syria since fighting flared between Druze groups and regime forces earlier this year in April and May, leaving over 100 people dead.
The country has remained volatile since longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December by an Islamist-led coalition.
The transitional authorities have since struggled to maintain control over Syria’s diverse ethnic and religious mosaic — including Alawites, Christians, Kurds, and Druze.
The Druze, a small but influential religious minority, have long maintained a delicate relationship with the central government. Their recent clashes with both Bedouin tribes and Syrian government forces signal deepening fractures in the fragile post-war order.
Israel has historically taken a strong interest in the welfare of the Druze, many of whom live in the occupied Golan Heights and serve in the Israeli military.
Tuesday’s strike is seen not only as a warning to Damascus but as a show of solidarity with Druze communities on both sides of the border.
Syrian state media acknowledged the Israeli strike, reporting that two people were injured in central Damascus. No details were provided regarding the extent of the damage or whether senior military personnel were among the casualties.
