Israel Attacks Syria Targeting Groups Attacking Druze

JAKARTA - Israel launched attacks in Syria targeting "extremist groups" attacking members of the Druze community. Israel followed up on promises to defend the minority group as deadly sectarian violence spread near Damascus on Wednesday.

Reported by Reuters on Thursday, May 1, the Syrian Foreign Ministry in a statement rejected all forms of foreign intervention in Syria's internal affairs, without naming Israel, and expressed Syria's commitment to protecting all Syrian groups including the Druze community.

This marks Israel's first time announcing a military offensive to support the Syrian Druze since Bashar al-Assad was ousted, reflecting its deep distrust of the Sunni Islamists who replaced it and pose further challenges to the President's efforts while Ahmed al-Sharaa to build control of the divided country.

A Syrian Interior Ministry source told Reuters that Israeli drone attacks targeted government security forces, killing one of their members, in the city of Sahnaya, most of which was inhabited by Druze on the outskirts of Damascus.

Druze has followers in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.

In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Katz said the Israeli military had carried out "warning operations and attacked extremist groups" as they prepared to resume attacks on Druze in Sahnaya.

"At the same time, a message was conveyed to the Syrian regime - Israel expects it to act to prevent harm to Druze," the two said.

Since Assad was ousted in December, Israel has seized territory in the southwest, vowing to protect Druze, lobbying Washington to keep neighboring countries weak, and has detonated most of the heavy weapons of the Syrian army in the days after he was ousted.

Sharaa, commander of al Qaeda before cutting ties with the group in 2016, has repeatedly vowed to rule Syria inclusively.

However, incidents of sectarian violence, including the killing of hundreds of Alawi people in March, added to fears among minority groups about Muslims who are now dominant.

The sectarian violence began on Tuesday with clashes between armed people Druze and Sunni in the Jaramana area where the majority of the population is Druze.

The violence was sparked by a voice recording condemning the Prophet Muhammad and allegedly made by Sunni militants by a Druze.

More than a dozen people were reported killed on Tuesday, before violence spread to Sahnaya on Wednesday.

In a statement at state news agency SANA, security director for rural Damascus said a ceasefire had been reached in Jaramana but criminals stepped up attacks in the Sahnaya area on Wednesday, killing 16 members of the security forces.

Security sources said hundreds of security forces from the Ministry of Home Affairs were deployed in and around Sahnaya after an agreement with Druze's elders.

Residents say the situation has largely calmed down after heavy fighting, with just sporadic shots heard.