Israel attacked a target near the presidential palace in the Syrian capital Damascus, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early on Friday, reiterating his vow to protect members of the Druze community.
It marks the second time Israel has struck Syria in as many days, following through on a promise to defend the minority group, which was involved in sectarian violence against Sunni gunmen earlier this week.
Syrian Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri on Thursday condemned what he called a “genocidal campaign” against his community after two days of sectarian clashes left 102 people dead.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned his country would respond “with significant force” if Syria’s new authorities fail to protect the Druze minority, whose representatives rejected any attempt to force them out.
The violence poses a serious challenge to the authorities who ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.
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The United States on Thursday confirmed meeting Syria’s top diplomat and called on the country’s interim authorities to take action on sectarianism as violence flares against the Druze minority.
ReplyDeleteAt least three people died after an Israeli drone attack on targets near the city of Suwayda in southern Syria, the Al Mayadeen television channel reported.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the TV channel, the strike targeted bases of the Syrian new government’s security forces in the town of Kanaker. These forces are engaged in operations to restore law and order in the Druze-populated Al-Suwayda governorate after recent clashes.