"Israel" announced it had carried out a strike on Syrian territory under the pretext of targeting an "extremist group" that was allegedly preparing to launch an attack on members of the Druze community in Syria.

The strike came amid escalating violence in Druze-populated areas near Damascus on Wednesday and followed "Israel’s" earlier pledge to protect the minority group.

In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Security Minister Israel Katz said that the strike targeted the "extremist group" as it was poised to continue its assault on Druze residents in the town of Sahnaya, just south of Damascus.

"At the same time, a message was passed on to the Syrian regime - Israel expects it to act in order to prevent harm to the Druze," the statement read.

However, a spokesperson for Syria’s Interior Ministry, speaking to Reuters from Sahnaya, said there was no indication that an attack had occurred. 

Meanwhile, Israeli minister and cabinet member Eli Cohen stressed that "Israel" would not stand idly by if anyone attempts to assault Druze outside the occupation entity.

On his part, Israeli journalist Amir Segal acknowledged that "Israel" is militarily intervening in Syria "to protect the Druze community."

Clashes in Damascus countryside take toll amid heightened tensions

Earlier on Wednesday, the Syrian Ministry of Health reported that the death toll from clashes in the town of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya in the Damascus countryside has risen to 11, including members of the General Security Directorate, in addition to several injuries.

This escalation occurred despite a meeting held the previous day between the Syrian authorities and Druze religious leaders aimed at containing the tensions.

A security source in Damascus told SANA that armed, "outlawed" groups from the Ashrafiyat Sahnaya area attacked a checkpoint belonging to the General Security Directorate on Tuesday evening, injuring three officers with varying degrees of severity.

Clashes between security forces and members of the Druze community erupted early Tuesday in Ashrafiyat #Sahnaya, southwest of Jaramana near Damascus in Syria, following an attack on checkpoints set up by government forces, sources told #AlMayadeen.

The sources added that the… pic.twitter.com/NUadiwiweV

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 30, 2025

Simultaneously, other groups spread out across nearby agricultural land and opened fire on civilian vehicles and those belonging to the General Security Directorate on the roads, resulting in the deaths of six people and injuries to others, the source added.

The Syrian Interior Ministry emphasized that it “will not hesitate to confront these criminals and will strike with an iron fist anyone who seeks to destabilize Syria and target its people.”

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Local media reported that security forces convoys have been deployed toward Ashrafiyat Sahnaya "to restore order and pursue the outlawed groups responsible for attacking security checkpoints."

An unnamed security source in Damascus told SANA that security forces have "initiated an extensive combing operation in the Ashrafiyat Sahnaya area, aimed at capturing the outlawed groups that have used this area as a launching point for their terrorist operations against the locals and security forces."

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the clashes involved armed men linked to the authorities and others from the Druze community in the area.

It noted that the clashes were concentrated in the Ashrafiyat Sahnaya housing area and extended to the vicinity of the Arab Bank and the town’s entrance, with reports of attacks on security checkpoints and heavy exchange of fire between both sides.

Tarif warns of Druze massacre in Syria

In a notable development, a number of Druze residents in the occupied Syrian Golan breached the separation fence along the border with Syria to express solidarity with the Druze of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya following the deadly clashes in the Damascus countryside.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in the occupied Palestinian territories, called for "immediate intervention" by the Israeli occupation military to prevent what he described as an “imminent massacre targeting Druze villages in Syria,” amid growing fears of escalating sectarian violence.

These developments come a day after clashes in the nearby city of Jaramana between local armed groups and pro-government forces, which resulted in casualties on both sides. The renewed tensions have raised concerns of a broader sectarian conflict.

The unrest was reportedly sparked by the circulation of an audio recording on social media containing insults to the Prophet Muhammad, allegedly attributed to a Druze cleric, further inflaming public anger and adding a sensitive religious dimension to the clashes.

Although several Druze religious leaders swiftly condemned the remarks, calling them provocative attempts to incite division, armed groups still launched attacks on several Druze-majority areas south of the capital 

Read more: Syria Druze head warns of sectarian incitement amid Jaramana violence

Military Council of Sweida holds authorities responsible for bloodshed

The Military Council of Sweida strongly condemned "the terrorist escalation that targeted the city of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya," holding the de facto authority directly responsible "for every drop of blood shed from our Druze community, as well as for the continued suffering of innocent civilians due to these heinous attacks."

"The complicity and silence of these parties is seen as a clear partnership in incitement and the crimes directed against us as Druze, which threaten the entire Syrian national fabric," the military council stressed in a statement.

It emphasized that "defending our people and the dignity of our nation is an obligation that leaves no room for neutrality."

"We call on all parties, including the responsible authorities, to bear their national and moral responsibilities in confronting terrorism, protecting the lives of innocent citizens, and taking urgent action to ensure security and stability," the council added.

Sweida factions accuse Damascus of interest in sectarian strife

Additionally, the Coalition of Mountain Brigade Factions in Sweida accused the Damascus administration of applying double standards and having an interest in paving the way for sectarian strife.

In a statement, the coalition urged the Syrian authorities "to exert every effort to halt the attacks by its affiliated takfiri and terrorist groups on Ashrafiyat Sahnaya."

"If the Damascus administration fails to act, it will bear full responsibility for everything that follows," the statement asserted.