JERUSALEM,— The Israeli military reported conducting an airstrike on the entrance to Syria’s defense ministry in Damascus on Wednesday.
This move marks a continuation of Israel’s military actions targeting the Islamist-led Syrian authorities, with Israel stating the operation aims to protect the Druze minority from violence by Syrian Islamist government forces.
This was the third consecutive day of Israeli strikes in Syria, particularly near Sweida, a southern city where clashes between Syrian government troops and local Druze fighters have been ongoing.
According to sources inside the Syrian defense ministry who spoke to Reuters, at least two drone strikes hit the ministry building, forcing officers to take shelter in the basement.
State-run Elekhbariya TV reported that two civilians were wounded in the Israeli attack.
The Israeli military confirmed it struck the “entrance gate of the Syrian regime’s military headquarters complex” in Damascus. They said they are closely monitoring developments and measures being taken against Druze civilians in southern Syria.
Syria’s state media and eyewitnesses reported that Israeli strikes also targeted Sweida city throughout Wednesday. The fighting there, involving local Druze militias and Bedouin armed groups, resumed despite a ceasefire that had been announced the previous evening.
Syrian government forces had been sent to Sweida on Monday to suppress clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin militants but ended up engaging Druze militias directly.
Local news outlet Sweida24 reported heavy shelling with artillery and mortars in Sweida and surrounding villages early Wednesday.
The Syrian defense ministry, via state news agency SANA, blamed “outlaw groups” in Sweida for violating the truce and urged residents to stay indoors.
(With files from Reuters)
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