Israeli airstrikes target Syrian military factions near Sweida
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The Israeli occupation's Air Force struck Syrian Ministry of Defense factions near Sweida, with Tel Aviv warning the al-Sharaa regime amid clashes with the Druze community.
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Syrian government soldiers on a motorcycle pass by a burning tank on the outskirts of Sweida city, where clashes erupted between the Druze community and Bedouine clans, in southern Syria, Monday, July 14, 2025 (AP)
Israeli occupation warplanes launched a series of airstrikes on Monday targeting military factions linked to the new Syrian Ministry of Defense in the southern countryside of Sweida, according to local sources who spoke to Al Mayadeen.
The airstrikes specifically targeted convoys and gatherings of these forces along the strategic road connecting the village of al-Mazraa to the city of Sweida, where Syrian government-affiliated factions have reportedly been mobilizing and advancing.
Tel Aviv warns Damascus
In response to the strikes, Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the raids were deliberate and served as “a clear message and warning” to the government of Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syria’s interim president. Katz claimed the attacks were meant to deter what the Israeli regime perceives as emerging threats along its northern frontier.
Katz further asserted that the Israeli occupation “will not stand idly by” in the face of any perceived threat to the Druze community in Syria, stating that the occupation would take “necessary measures” to prevent harm or influence against Druze populations in the region.
This latest round of airstrikes underscores growing regional tensions, as Tel Aviv expands its military operations beyond the occupied Syrian Golan and into the southern Syrian interior, using the presence of Ministry of Defense-aligned factions as a justification for escalation.
Clashes escalate in Sweida
Fierce clashes broke out overnight Monday in southern Syria, leaving at least 89 people dead and at least 100 injured. According to local sources who spoke to Al Mayadeen, violent confrontations erupted between armed Druze factions from Sweida and Bedouin tribal groups near al-Thalaa military airport and the village bridge of Hazm, located north of Sweida governorate.
Moreover, sources also told Al Mayadeen that armed groups took control of the village of al-Surah in Sweida’s countryside following intense clashes, triggering a wave of displacement from the area.
Meanwhile, local factions regained control of the village of al-Tayra in western Sweida, as residents in the Khalkhalah area began fleeing toward the city amid fears of escalating battles.
'Israel' admits to prior interference
Similar clashes took place in April, wherein the Israeli occupation admitted 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.
