Israeli Airstrikes Target Syrian Military Sites Amid Druze Tensions

The Israeli army has conducted airstrikes near the Syrian Ministry of Defence amidst ongoing clashes between government forces and Druze armed groups in Sweida. Israel claims the strikes are to protect the Druze community. The Druze are a religious sect primarily found in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.

In a volatile escalation, the Israeli army launched airstrikes targeting areas near the entrance of the Syrian Ministry of Defence in Damascus, officials reported on Wednesday.

The strikes coincide with intensified conflict in Sweida, where clashes between Syrian government troops and Druze armed factions have flared following a failed ceasefire.

Israel, citing defensive measures to safeguard the Druze community, has initiated multiple airstrikes since these confrontations began. The Druze community, rooted in a 10th-century Ismaili offshoot, has sizable populations in Syria and Israel, including the disputed Golan Heights.

(With inputs from agencies.)