Israel says it struck near Syria palace over violence in Druze areas
Israel says its fighter jets bombed an area next to the presidential palace in Syria's capital, Damascus, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to protect the Druze religious minority following days of deadly sectarian violence.Netanyahu said the strike was "clear message to the Syrian regime" that Israel would "not allow the deployment of forces south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community".There was no immediate response from the Syrian government.However, it rejected "foreign intervention" when Israel carried out strikes south of Damascus on Wednesday during clashes between Druze gunmen, security forces and allied Sunni Islamist fighters.
The spiritual leader of Syria's Druze, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, has condemned the violence as an "unjustifiable genocidal campaign" against his community and called for intervention by "international forces to maintain peace".The Syrian government has said it has deployed security forces to Druze areas to combat "outlaw groups" which it has accused of instigating the clashes. Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani has also warned that "any call for external intervention, under any pretext or slogan, only leads to further deterioration and division".
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group, at least 102 people have been killed this week in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, a town in the southern outskirts of Damascus, the mainly Druze suburb of Jaramana, and the southern province of Suweida, which has a Druze majority.It says that includes 10 Druze civilians and 21 Druze fighters, as well as another 35 Druze fighters who were shot dead in an "ambush" by security forces while travelling from Suweida to Damascus on Wednesday. Thirty members of the General Security service and allied fighters have also been killed, it says.The violence erupted in Jaramana on Monday night after an audio clip of a man insulting the Prophet Muhammad circulated on social media and angered Sunni Muslims. It was attributed to a Druze cleric, but he denied any responsibility. The interior ministry also said a preliminary inquiry had cleared him.The Druze faith is an offshoot of Shia Islam with its own unique identity and beliefs. Half its roughly one million followers live in Syria, where they make up about 3% of the population, while there are smaller communities in Lebanon, Israel and the occupied Golan Heights.Syria's transitional President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has promised to protect the country's many religious and ethnic minorities since his Sunni Islamist group led the rebel offensive that overthrew Bashar al-Assad's regime in December after 13 years of devastating civil war.However, the mass killings of hundreds of civilians from Assad's minority Alawite sect in the western coastal region in March, during clashes between the new security forces and Assad loyalists, hardened fears among minority communities.In February, Israel's prime minister warned that he would not "tolerate any threat to the Druze community in southern Syria" from the country's new security forces.Netanyahu also demanded the complete demilitarisation of Suweida and two other southern provinces, saying Israel saw Sharaa's Sunni Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as a threat. HTS is a former al-Qaeda affiliate that is still designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN, the US, the EU and the UK.The Israeli military has already carried out hundreds of strikes across Syria to destroy the country's military assets over the past four months. It has also sent troops into the UN-monitored demilitarised buffer zone between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria, as well as several adjoining areas and the summit of Mount Hermon.
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BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
First phase of £30m Plymouth's Armada Way revamp project to open
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The Guardian
12 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Wednesday briefing: What to expect from the Treasury's spending review announcements
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They have to try and get some political benefit.' The way they will attempt to do this, she says, is by pointing out investing in infrastructure generates economic growth and a return on that money spent, unlike day-to-day departmental spending. So expect to hear a lot of ministers talk about 'choosing investments over decline'. Jessica goes further: 'The Treasury has felt particularly aggrieved that they haven't got credit for making this change in the fiscal rules and framing up this cash. You still get people saying they need to raise taxes and the grumpy retorts to that is 'we raised £40bn worth of tax for the last budget and we changed the fiscal rules to pay for £100bn pounds of capital spending'. So this is them belatedly trying to claim credit for that in order to cover up what we expect to be a very tight spending review for departments on day-to-day spending.' Starting from scratch The process for the spending review is brutal. 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The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Riot police respond to second night of violence in Ballymena
Police came under attack as violent disorder erupted for a second night in a row in Northern Ireland on Tuesday. Multiple cars and properties were set on fire in Ballymena while rioters hurled petrol bombs, fireworks and masonry at police officers. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) deployed riot police, fired plastic baton rounds, and used water cannons as well as dog units as part of its response to the disorder. In a statement, the PSNI said calm had been restored in the Clonavon Terrace, North Road and Bridge Street areas by around 1am on Wednesday. The force said there had also been 'sporadic disorder' in Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus, as well incidents in north Belfast. It came after similar violent disorder around Clonavon Terrace in the town on Monday night, following an earlier peaceful protest in the day which was organised in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in the area. The Prime Minister's official spokesman described those events – which saw police and ethnic minorities targeted – as 'very concerning'. A senior police officer condemned the disorder as 'racist thuggery'. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson issued a public appeal for information and said the PSNI was actively working to identify those responsible for the 'racially motivated disorder in Ballymena and bring them to justice'. He said the service would deploy significant resources to any further disorder during the week. On Tuesday evening, riot police were deployed to residential streets around Clonavon Terrace on Tuesday as hundreds of people gathered in the area from approximately 7pm. The PSNI formed barricades while officers wearing armour and shields also responded to the disorder. Some masked protesters shouted abuse and threw objects at the police, including fireworks, glass bottles and pieces of metal. The PSNI advised those present to disperse and warned that water cannon would be deployed against those participating in violent activity. Police fired plastic baton rounds at some of those gathered and also used water cannons to disperse the crowd. Many young children were present among those gathered near police lines. As rioters were dispersed into other parts of the town as the evening progressed into night, a property on Bridge Street and a home on Queen Street were set on fire. Other properties had windows smashed as some residents chose to display signs about the nationalities of those normally resident, including one saying 'British household' and another with 'Filipino lives here'. Multiple cars were also set on fire as part of blazes set by rioters, including near a car wash and tyre centre off Bridge Street and on Larne Street. The clothing of at least one participant caught fire during the disorder. The PSNI cleared streets and allowed gaps in its barricades for firefighters to tackle fires in the town as chaotic scenes continued past midnight. Officers also used a drone as part of the response to illegal activity, which saw some rioters kick in doors and ransack homes. The Northern Ireland Secretary has said there is 'no justification' for attacks on police officers or vandalism. In a social media post, Hilary Benn said: 'The terrible scenes of civil disorder we have witnessed in Ballymena again this evening have no place in Northern Ireland. 'There is absolutely no justification for attacks on PSNI officers or for vandalism directed at people's homes or property.' During Monday's disorder, 15 police officers were injured and several PSNI vehicles were damaged. In Clonavon Terrace, several houses had their windows smashed and two which suffered significant smoke damage remained sealed off on Tuesday. A 29-year-old man was charged with riotous behaviour after being arrested on Monday night. Mr Henderson said other arrests are expected following the examination of video footage. The earlier peaceful protest formed in support of the family of the girl. Two 14-year-old boys appeared in court on Monday charged with attempted rape. The charges were read to the teenagers by a Romanian interpreter. On Tuesday, the PSNI said it had made a third arrest in connection with the incident and reiterated a public appeal for information. Detective Inspector Olphert from the PSNI's public protection branch said: 'A 28-year-old man was arrested yesterday evening, Monday June 9. 'He has been unconditionally released from police custody following questioning.' At a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Henderson said the attacks should be 'loudly condemned by all right-thinking people'. 'Any attempt to justify or explain it as something else is misplaced,' he said at a press conference at Ballymena police station earlier on Tuesday. He said members of the minority ethnic community 'felt fear' and there will be a significant policing operation in the town in the coming days to reassure the community. Mr Henderson said that police officers from England and Wales will be brought to Northern Ireland if needed to help the PSNI in the wake of the Ballymena disorder. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'The disorder we saw in Ballymena is very concerning. 'Obviously, the reports of sexual assault in the area are extremely distressing, but there is no justification for attacks on police officers while they continue to protect local communities. 'PSNI and the justice system must be allowed to carry out their jobs and our thoughts are with the victims of the assault as well as the police officers who were injured.'
