Latest news with #AhmedAlSharaa
France 24
16 minutes ago
- Politics
- France 24
One dead and 18 wounded in Israeli air strikes on Syria army HQ in Damascus
Israel bombed the Syrian army headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday after warning the Islamist-led government to leave the Druze minority alone in its Sweida heartland, where a war monitor says sectarian clashes have killed nearly 250 people. Israel's army said it had also struck a "military target" in the area of Syria's presidential palace in Damascus on Wednesday, after earlier announcing it had hit the military headquarters in the capital. Witnesses told AFP they heard an explosion in the area of the palace, a high-security compound which is located on a hill overlooking the capital and is where interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa receives visitors. Syrian state TV earlier reported several Israeli strikes near the army and defence ministry headquarters in central Damascus, and Israel's military said it had "struck the entrance of the Syrian regime's military headquarters". AFP images showed the side of a building in the defence complex in ruins after the strike, as smoke billowed over the area. The Syrian health ministry said in a preliminary toll that at least one person had died in the strikes and 18 people were wounded. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had said earlier in the day that his country would start launching major attacks against Syria. "The signals to Damascus are over – now come the painful blows," he said. The Israeli military would "operate forcefully" in Syria's southern Sweida region "to eliminate the forces that attacked the Druze until their full withdrawal", he added. Syrian government forces on Tuesday entered the majority-Druze city of Sweida, in the country's south, with the stated aim of overseeing a ceasefire agreed with Druze community leaders after clashes with local Bedouin tribes left dozens dead. However, witnesses reported that the government forces joined with the Bedouin in attacking Druze fighters and civilians in a bloody rampage through the city. The fighting marks the most serious outbreak of violence in Syria since government forces battled Druze fighters in Sweida province and near Damascus in April and May, leaving more than 100 people dead. The Islamist-led authorities have had strained relations with Syria's patchwork of religious and ethnic minorities since they toppled longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in December. Israel has presented itself as a defender of the Druze, although some analysts say that is a pretext for pursuing its own military goal of keeping Syrian government forces as far from the border as possible. 'Existential battle' Israel, home to tens of thousands of Druze, said it was sending more troops to the armistice line between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syrian-controlled territory. Dozens of people were trying to cross the heavily fortified frontier, according to AFP correspondent in Majdal Shams, a mainly Druze town in the Israeli-annexed Golan. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Druze not to cross, warning of a "very serious" situation in Sweida. A military statement said Israeli forces were "operating to prevent the infiltration" from Syrian territory and to "safely return the civilians who crossed the border" from the Israeli-controlled side. Netanyahu said in February that southern Syria must be completely demilitarised, warning that Israel would not accept the presence of forces of the Islamist-led government near territory it controls. The head of the Druze community in Israel, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, called the situation "an existential battle for the Druze community". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor has said at least 21 Druze civilians had been killed "in summary executions by government forces". The Syrian presidency condemned in a statement the "heinous acts" in Sweida, expressing "full commitment to investigating all related incidents and punishing all those proven to be involved". Sporadic gunfire continued to ring out in Sweida on Wednesday, an AFP correspondent reported. Columns of smoke were seen rising from several areas amid the sound of shelling. The correspondent counted the bodies of around 30 combatants, some in plain clothes and some in military uniform. 'Step back' The Observatory, witnesses and Druze armed groups have said government forces took part in fighting alongside the Bedouin against the Druze. The Syrian defence ministry accused "outlaw groups" of attacking its forces inside the city, saying they are now "continuing to respond to the sources of fire". The Britain-based Observatory said at least 248 people had been killed in Sweida province since the violence erupted on Sunday, including 92 Druze, 138 Syrian security personnel and 18 allied Bedouin fighters. The Bedouin and the Druze have been at loggerheads for decades. The latest violence erupted after the kidnapping of a Druze vegetable merchant triggered tit-for-tat abductions, the Observatory said. 02:01 Since they toppled Assad in December, Syria's Islamist authorities have been accused repeatedly of trampling over the rights of the country's religious and ethnic minorities. The United States, a close ally of Israel, said that "all parties must step back and engage in meaningful dialogue that leads to a lasting ceasefire" in Sweida. Washington's special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, added on X that the "perpetrators need to be held accountable". France said that "the abuses targeting civilians, which we strongly condemn, must stop", while the European Union urged "all external actors" to "fully respect Syria's sovereignty".
The Guardian
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Israel strikes Syria's defence ministry in third day of attacks on the country
The Israeli military struck the Syrian defence ministry in Damascus twice on Wednesday as it intervened in the clashes between the Syrian army and Druze fighters in southern Syria in the country's deadliest violence in months. The strikes collapsed four floors of the ministry and ruined its facade. Syrian state media said that at least two officers had been wounded and staff were reportedly sheltering in the building's basement. It was the first time that Israel had targeted Damsacus since May and the third day in a row it had conducted airstrikes against the Syrian military. A spokesperson for the Israeli military said the strike on the defence ministry had been a 'message to [the Syrian president Ahmed] al-Sharaa regarding the events in Suweida'. The Israeli military struck Syrian tanks on Monday and has continued to conduct drone strikes on troops, killing some soldiers. Israel has said it will not allow the Syrian army to deploy in the south of the country, and that it would protect the Druze community from the Damascus government. Many in the community have rebuffed Israel's claim of patronage for fear of being viewed as a foreign proxy. The Israeli bombing added another complication to an already escalating conflict between Syrian government forces, Bedouin Arab tribes and Druze fighters. More than 200 people have been killed in four days of clashes, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights. The continued clashes pitting mostly Sunni government forces against Druze fighters have prompted fears of a wider sectarian conflict. An attack in March by remnants of the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad on security forces led to bloodletting in which more than 1,500 people were killed, most of them from the minority Alawite community. The Druze, a religious minority in Syria and the wider Middle East, make up the majority of the population of Suweida province in the south of the country. They have been negotiating with the Islamist-led authorities in Damascus since the fall of Assad in an attempt to achieve some form of autonomy, but have yet to reach an agreement that defines their relationship with the new Syrian state. The Syrian army entered Suweida on Sunday in an attempt to restore calm between Druze fighters and Arab Bedouin tribes. Fighting broke out after Bedouin tribe members robbed a Druze man on the main road south of Damascus, kicking off a cycle of retaliatory violence between the two groups. Intermittent violence between members of the Druze and Bedouin communities has been common in the area in recent years. Some Druze militias have vowed to prevent Syrian government forces entering Suweida and have attacked them, leading to escalating clashes. The Syrian defence minister announced a ceasefire on Tuesday, and the three spiritual leaders of the Syrian Druze community issued a statement permitting Syrian security forces to enter Suweida. The ceasefire was quickly broken, however, and fighting between Druze fighters and government soldiers resumed. Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, the most vocally anti-government of the three Druze spiritual leaders, appealed for international powers to help protect the community. Several civilians in Suweida city described being locked inside their home as fighting continued outside, while electricity and other basic supplies have been cut off. One 52-year-old English teacher said they had watched as their neighbour was shot dead by a hidden sniper, and that no one could collect the body for fear of being shot. The Syrian interior ministry said the continued fighting could only be solved by integrating the Druze-majority province into the state and said it came 'in the absence of relevant official institutions'. The killings in Suweida provoked anger among the wider Druze community in the Middle East. Some Israeli Druze in the occupied Golan Heights managing to cross the fence into Syria before being retrieved by the Israeli army. The Israeli military also said that it had reinforced its presence along the Syria-Israel border. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued a statement urging people not to try to cross the border into Syria. 'Do not cross the border. You are risking your lives; you could be murdered, you could be taken hostage, and you are impeding the efforts of the IDF,' he said. Relations between Israel and Syria had begun to thaw before this week, with Israeli and Syrian officials engaging in security discussions and military coordination. Syria's leadership has hinted it could eventually normalise relations with its southern neighbour. After the fall of Assad, the Israeli military launched hundreds of airstrikes against military assets in Syria and invaded the country's south, where it continues to occupy large swathes of territory.
ABC News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Israeli Defense Forces launch attack on Syria's military headquarters
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it has launched an attack on the entrance of the Syrian military headquarters in the capital of Damascus. Syrian state media has reported loud explosions in the city. It's the third day in a row that Israel has launched strikes on Syrian government forces, with strikes over the last few days targeting forces heading towards the southern city of Sweida. Sectarian violence had erupted there between local Bedouin clans and militia from the Druze community. The Israeli government says it is protecting the local Druze population — a religious minority living in the south of Syria, with ties to the Druze community in Israel. The new Syrian regime, led by former militant leader Ahmed al-Sharaa had condemned Israel's behaviour, describing it as a calculated attempt to fuel chaos across Syria. Israel's military has operated inside Syria since the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad late last year, with troops and tanks crossing over the border from the Israeli occupied Golan Heights into southern Syria hours after the previous regime was toppled by rebel forces. There had been speculation in recent weeks that President al-Sharaa could strike some sort of peace deal with the Israeli government, normalising ties between the two countries.
UAE Moments
a day ago
- Politics
- UAE Moments
Syrian Army Enters Sweida After Deadly Weekend Clashes
Syrian government forces officially entered the southern city of Sweida on Tuesday, marking the first such deployment since President Ahmed al-Sharaa took office in December 2024. The move followed two days of intense clashes between local armed groups and government-affiliated factions, which left at least 99 people dead, according to war monitors. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the fatalities, noting that among the dead were 60 Druze, 18 Bedouin fighters, 14 security personnel, and others unidentified. The city, home to Syria's Druze minority, has largely maintained autonomy throughout much of the country's civil unrest. But escalating violence over the weekend forced the hand of Druze religious leadership, who called on fighters to lay down their weapons and allow government forces entry. The defence ministry said later that they had entered the city, and urged people to "stay home and report any movements of outlaw groups," local sources reported. A curfew was announced in Sweida in a bid to curb the spread of violence, which had already reached several nearby towns and villages in the governorate. Military convoys with heavy artillery were spotted advancing toward the city early Tuesday. The defence ministry claimed their mission was to separate warring factions, but government troops soon assumed control of key areas in and around the city. Despite the shift in control, Druze spiritual figure Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri voiced opposition to the military's arrival, calling for 'international protection' amid the unrest. His stance was echoed by factions within Sweida still resistant to external intervention. Meanwhile, Israel entered the scene with its own warning. Following Monday's developments, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said, The strikes were "a clear warning to the Syrian regime — we will not allow harm to be done to the Druze in Syria,' after Israeli tanks reportedly bombed Syrian military vehicles near the area.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel strikes Syrian city, vows to protect Druze from government forces
SWEIDA (Reuters) -Israel carried out strikes against Syrian government forces in the Sweida region of southern Syria on Tuesday, saying it was acting to protect the Druze minority and vowing to ensure the area near the Israeli border remained demilitarized. A Reuters reporter heard at least four strikes as drones could be heard overhead and saw a damaged tank being towed away from the city, where bursts of gunfire were heard as violence entered a third day. The upsurge in violence in the predominantly Druze city marks the latest challenge for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in a corner of Syria where Israel has vowed to protect the Druze minority. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the military "to immediately strike regime forces and weaponry that were brought into the Sweida region ... for the regime's operations against the Druze," they said in a statement. "Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherhood alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel," they said. "We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarization of the area adjacent to our border with Syria. Earlier on Tuesday an influential Druze leader, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, issued a statement accusing Syrian government forces of breaching a ceasefire and bombarding the city and called on fighters to confront government troops. Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra later issued a statement declaring that a complete ceasefire was in place, and saying government forces would only open fire if fired upon.
