Israel Hits Syria's Defence Ministry as Complex War Rages for Control of South

The Israeli military struck the Syrian defence ministry in Damascus twice yesterday as it intervened in the clashes between the Syrian army and Druze fighters in the south, the country's deadliest violence in months.

- William Christou

The strikes collapsed four floors of the ministry and ruined its facade. One person was killed and 18 injured, Syrian officials said.

It was the first time Israel had targeted Damascus 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 dozens of 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 Druze 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 250 people have been killed in four days of clashes, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Yesterday the Syrian government and one of the three spiritual leaders of the Syrian Druze community announced a ceasefire. It was unclear if the truce would hold, as another spiritual leader, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, vowed to keep fighting, calling the Syrian government a collection of "armed gangs".

A ceasefire announced on Tuesday broke down in similar circumstances.

The clashes, pitting mostly Sunni government forces against Druze fighters, have prompted fears of a wider sectarian conflict.