Israel Bombs Syrian Capital Amid Rising Druze Clashes – Defense Ministry and Military HQ Targeted July 16, 2

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📰 Israel Bombs Syrian Capital Amid Rising Druze Clashes – Defense Ministry and Military HQ Targeted
🗓️ July 16, 2025
📍 Damascus, Syria

📄Israel carried out targeted airstrikes on Damascus on July 16, striking a four-story structure adjacent to Syria’s Ministry of Defense and damaging a military command center reportedly located near the presidential palace. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed they had “successfully struck military targets” in the heart of the Syrian capital.

The strikes followed earlier drone attacks on the entrance to the Syrian Ministry of Defense. Syria’s Ministry of Health reported at least one person killed and 18 injured in the Damascus air raids.

On the same day, Israeli forces also launched airstrikes in southern Syria, targeting Sweida and Daraa provinces. The IDF stated that the operation was in response to “brutal suppression of Druze civilians” by Syrian government forces in the south. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that further military action would follow if Syrian troops did not withdraw from Sweida and end the crackdown.

President Bashar al-Assad pledged to investigate allegations of human rights abuses and punish those responsible for the alleged massacres in Sweida. He promised justice for civilian casualties and an inquiry into the security forces’ conduct.

International reactions were swift. U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio confirmed that Washington was in direct contact with both Damascus and Tel Aviv, expressing deep concern over the regional instability. Turkey denounced Israel’s strikes as “a disruption to Syria’s stabilization efforts,” while the UAE condemned them as “a clear violation of Syrian sovereignty.”

Although Syria appeared to regain a degree of stability following the fall of Assad’s regime in December 2024, violence has resurged. Clashes between Syrian forces and Druze militias in Sweida have intensified, despite a short-lived ceasefire agreement announced just a day earlier.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense accused armed Druze groups of breaching the truce and announced it would continue military operations “to restore order, protect civilians, and enable the return of displaced residents.”

Eyewitnesses contradicted the official narrative, reporting that government forces were targeting both armed groups and Druze civilians indiscriminately. The violence flared after a deadly clash on July 13 between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes, sparking a larger armed confrontation with government reinforcements.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), over 300 people have been killed since July 13. Of the 109 reported Druze fatalities, 40 were civilians and 27 were allegedly executed by regime forces.

This marks the deadliest surge in violence in Syria since similar confrontations in April and May claimed over 100 lives in the Damascus region and Sweida province.

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, condemned “unconditional violence against civilians in Sweida” and urged Damascus to “withdraw and pursue a permanent ceasefire.”

The Assad government and Druze religious leaders later announced a renewed ceasefire via the state-run SANA news agency. However, Hajari, the leading commander of the Druze armed group, rejected the truce, declaring, “We will continue fighting until Sweida is fully liberated,” according to Reuters.

Israel’s direct strikes on core Syrian military infrastructure mark an aggressive shift in posture and deterrence. The operations also serve to reposition Tel Aviv as a guardian of Druze communities, possibly to sway regional perceptions and preempt Iranian influence.

Expect intensifying Israeli pressure on the Assad regime through calibrated airstrikes if Druze casualties mount. Druze insurgencies may gain momentum, triggering broader instability across southern Syria. A breakdown in ceasefire efforts risks cross-border implications for Jordan and may draw Hezbollah into a new front.

🔗 Reported from Damascus, Syria – World News War Correspondence Desk
,Israel ,Syria ,Damascus ,Sweida ,Druze ,Airstrike ,MiddleEast ,Assad ,IDF ,HumanRights ,Ceasefire

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