In brief
Israel launched airstrikes in Syria's capital, Damascus, targeting key government sites amid escalating violence against the Druze minority in Sweida, leading to claims of extensive damage and multiple casualties.
Israel carried out airstrikes in Damascus on Wednesday, targeting the Defense Ministry and an area adjacent to the presidential palace, as announced by Syrian authorities and war monitoring organizations. This military move comes in response to rising tensions surrounding the government’s military actions against the Druze minority in the southern province of Sweida. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a warning, stating that the country is closely monitoring Syria’s military movements and threatened further strikes if Syrian forces do not retreat from Druze areas.The clashes in Sweida have become increasingly violent, resulting in over 200 fatalities in just four days, marking the most intense unrest in the region in years, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Israeli airstrikes caused extensive damage within Damascus and left at least nine individuals injured, according to reports from Syria's health ministry. Although a cease-fire was briefly announced in Sweida on Tuesday, hostilities reignited on Wednesday, with renewed confrontations reported between government troops and Druze fighters, as per the statements from Syrian authorities and the observatory.Euan Ward is a Times reporter covering Lebanon and Syria from Beirut, bringing insights into the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region.
