Israel Targets Syrian Military Sites Amid Rising Tensions in Sweida

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

The Israeli military has announced it struck the entrance of a Syrian military headquarters in Damascus and also targeted the city of Sweida, a majority-Druze area in southern Syria. According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, Israeli drones hit military positions in Sweida where Syrian forces had recently deployed.

A reporter on the ground witnessed an Israeli strike hitting a military truck at the western entrance of Sweida, where Syrian troops had gathered.

This comes after Israel warned Syria to withdraw its forces from the south of the country, where deadly clashes have broken out between Druze and Bedouin communities.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel "will not abandon the Druze in Syria" and stressed the need to enforce a demilitarized zone in southern Syria. He warned that Israeli attacks would intensify if Syrian troops did not leave the area.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier declared that southern Syria must remain free of military presence, stating that Israel would not tolerate the Syrian government's forces near its border.

In Israel, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community, described the situation as “an existential battle” for the Druze people.

The situation remains tense, with both military and political leaders warning of more action if Syrian forces do not pull back.