Latest news with #Druze-populated
Shafaq News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
No safety from HTS: Druze plea for UN shield
Shafaq News/ On Friday, the Military Council in Syria's southern al-Suwayda province declared its full support for Druze spiritual leader Sheikh al-Aql Hikmat al-Hijri's appeal for urgent international protection. In a statement posted on Facebook, the council emphasized al-Hijri's role in 'safeguarding the people of Jabal al-Arab.' The council accused Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as al-Nusra Front, of committing war crimes in Druze-populated areas including Sahnaya and Jaramana near Damascus, citing random killings of unarmed civilians, arbitrary arrests, and the humiliation of Druze religious figures and symbols. It further accused HTS of undermining social cohesion through extremist ideology and the use of force, with the Druze identity as a particular target. Calling for immediate action, the council urged the UN Security Council to establish a safe zone in al-Suwayda and its surroundings under neutral international supervision, and called on the UN Human Rights Council to deploy investigation teams and pursue international accountability for those responsible. The council warned foreign backers of HTS against funding what it called 'terrorist groups carrying out sectarian cleansing in violation of international law,' and condemned what it described as international silence over the violence in the affected areas. Earlier, al-Hijri, called for 'rapid and direct international assistance' in a separate statement, saying that 'a government does not kill its people.'
Shafaq News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Israel strikes near Syrian presidential palace "in defense" of Druze minority
Shafaq News/ Israeli warplanes targeted an area near the Syrian presidential palace in Damascus overnight, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday, framing the strike as a message to the Syrian government and a move to protect the country's Druze minority amid escalating regional unrest. It was Israel's second such strike in as many days. 'In a clear message to the Syrian regime, Israel conducted a nighttime strike near the presidential palace in Damascus,' Netanyahu said in a joint statement with Defense Minister Israel Katz. 'We will not allow Syrian forces to expand south of the capital or threaten the Druze population.' The Israeli military confirmed the operation, saying its fighter jets had hit 'an area adjacent to the residence of Ahmad Hussein al-Sharaa' in central Damascus. It did not specify the exact target. #عاجل 🔴 أغارت طائرات حربية قبل قليل على المنطقة المجاورة لقصر أحمد حسين الشرع في دمشق — افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) May 2, 2025 Syrian authorities have not issued an official response, but residents reported intense aerial activity and multiple explosions shaking parts of the capital. The strike came amid mounting Israeli concern over what it described as 'growing threats' to the Druze population in Syria. Earlier this week, Defense Minister Katz warned that Israel would respond 'with overwhelming force' if Damascus failed to protect Druze-populated areas—particularly after recent clashes in the Sahnaya and Jaramana suburbs and the southern province of As Sweida. On Wednesday, Israeli warplanes struck what officials described as an 'extremist cell' in Sahnaya, accusing the group of plotting attacks against Druze civilians. That operation was described by Israeli media as a 'warning shot.' Israel's military escalation follows the December collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime—an event that Israeli leadership has called a 'strategic opportunity' to curb any resurgence of Syrian military power near its northern border. Israeli media cited sources claiming that much of Syria's heavy military infrastructure was disabled in the wake of Al-Assad's ouster. Since Monday night, Syria has been rocked by sectarian clashes that have left more than 100 people dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The casualties include Druze fighters, pro-regime security forces, and armed groups, as well as civilians. The violence comes on the heels of a brutal wave of unrest in Syria's coastal region last month, in which some 1,700 people—mostly Alawites—were killed. Moafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of Israel's Druze community, urged swift intervention. 'We are on the brink of a massacre,' he said. 'The international community must act now to protect Druze lives in Syria.'
Mint
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Israel military strikes near Syria's presidential palace in Damascus over Druze violence
Israel's air force carried out a strike near Syria's presidential palace early Friday, just hours after warning Syrian authorities against advancing toward Druze-populated villages in the south, the Associated Press reported. As reported by the AP, the attack followed several days of intense fighting between pro-government forces and Druze fighters near Damascus, which resulted in dozens of casualties. Friday's Israeli airstrike near Syria's presidential palace marked the second such attack on Syrian territory this week, signaling a strong message to the country's newly formed leadership, now dominated by Islamist factions led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, as reported by the Associated Press. The strike came a day after Syria's top Druze spiritual authority, Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, condemned the Syrian government's actions, describing its offensive against the Druze community as an 'unjustified genocidal attack.' The Israeli army said that fighter jets struck adjacent to the area of the Palace of President Hussein al-Sharaa in Damascus. Its statement gave no further details. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strike was a message to Syrian leaders. 'This is a clear message to the Syrian regime. We will not allow a withdrawal of forces from south of Damascus and any danger to the Druze community,' their joint statement said. Pro-government Syrian media outlets said the strike hit close to the People's Palace on a hill overlooking the city. The clashes broke out around midnight Monday after an audio clip circulated on social media of a man criticizing Islam's Prophet Muhammad. The audio was attributed to a Druze cleric. But cleric Marwan Kiwan said in a video posted on social media that he was not responsible for the audio, which angered many Sunni Muslims. Syria's Information Ministry reported that 11 security personnel were killed in two separate attacks, while the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that 56 people—including local fighters and security forces—died in clashes in Sahnaya and the Druze-majority suburb of Jaramana near Damascus, AP reported. The Druze community, a religious minority that emerged in the 10th century as an offshoot of Ismaili Shiite Islam, has deep roots in Syria. Over half of the global Druze population—estimated at around 1 million—reside in Syria, primarily in the southern Sweida province and areas around Damascus, AP reported. This is a clear message to the Syrian regime. We will not allow a withdrawal of forces from south of Damascus and any danger to the Druze community. Notable Druze populations also live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, a region seized by Israel from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. (With inputs from Associated Press) Key Takeaways The Israeli airstrike signals a firm stance against threats to the Druze community. Intense fighting in Syria highlights the fragility of the situation amid rising sectarian tensions. The Druze community's historical significance in Syria adds complexity to the ongoing conflict.
Shafaq News
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Deadly day in Syria: Sahnaya Mayor assassinated
Shafaq News/ On Thursday, unidentified gunmen shot and killed the mayor of Sahnaya and his son in a volatile suburb of Damascus, Syrian media reported. The mayor, identified as Warwar, was gunned down shortly after security forces from Syria's Interior and Defense ministries deployed to the area in an effort to quell days of violence involving Druze residents and government-aligned fighters. Authorities have launched an investigation into the attack. Warwar had appeared in a video the previous day discussing efforts to restore calm after the General Security Directorate entered the town. Earlier, the Syrian government announced troop movements into Sahnaya to contain unrest that had spilled into neighboring Jaramana and reportedly left nearly 40 people dead. By nightfall, state news agency SANA reported a preliminary ceasefire agreement between local factions. Officials pledged to 'protect all communities, including the Druze.' Israel Intervenes As tensions escalated, an Israeli drone strike hit near Sahnaya, targeting a Syrian security patrol in what observers described as Israel's first known direct intervention involving Syria's Druze minority since the civil war began. Damascus Governor Amer al-Sheikh confirmed the strike killed one officer and a local, while several others were wounded. Israel's military said the operation targeted 'extremists involved in attacks on Druze civilians.' Public broadcaster Kan reported that a missile struck a building housing armed men allegedly preparing an assault on Druze-populated areas. Israeli officials also announced the evacuation of three wounded Druze from Syria for medical treatment inside Israel. Syria's Foreign Ministry denounced the strike without explicitly naming Israel, rejecting 'all forms of foreign interference' and reaffirming its 'commitment to protecting all components of the Syrian people, including the noble Druze community.'
