Israel Serang Damascus With Sasar Fighter Plane Of The Syrian Ministry Of Defense

Israeli fighter jet/DOK IDF via Instagram @idf

JAKARTA - The devastating airstrike rocked Damascus targeting the Ministry of Defense on Wednesday.

Israel vowed to destroy Syrian government forces attacking the Druze community in southern Syria and demanded them withdraw.

Reuters reporters heard warplanes dived low over the capital and launched a series of massive attacks in downtown Damascus.

The city's view was shrouded in smoke with thick smoke rising from the Ministry of Defense, Wednesday, July 16.

There has been no immediate comment from Israel on the devastating attacks that occurred in the afternoon, which the Syrian state media said were carried out by Israel.

The Israeli military had previously announced an attack on the gates of the Ministry of Defense. Shortly before the big explosion, Israel's Defense Minister Katz said "a painful blow is coming".

Dozens of people have been killed this week in violence around the southern city of Sweida, who pitted fighters from the Druze minority against government security forces and members of the Bedouin, prompting Israel to attack repeatedly with the aim of protecting Druze.

"We were trapped and heard the fighters screaming. We were very scared," said a Sweida resident, the city whose majority population is Druze.

The sound of gunfire surrounded by explosions was heard in the background. "We are trying to silence the children so that no one hears us," continued the man, who asked for his identity to be kept secret for fear of reprisals.

The violence demonstrates the major challenges facing interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa despite the warming relations with the United States in his efforts to reunite Syria amid deep concerns from groups that reject Islamic rule.

Syrian government forces were dispatched to the Sweida region on Monday to defuse fighting between fighters Druze and the Bedouin armed group, but eventually clashed with the Druze militia itself.

Druze is a religious adherent who is a sect of Islam and spread across Syria, Lebanon and Israel. Druze in Israel has asked the Israeli military to protect Druze in Syria.

A spiritual leader Druze said Tuesday his community was targeted by a barbaric attack by government forces.

The government said the banned gangs were responsible for the violence.

Earlier, security sources at the Syrian Ministry of Defense told Reuters at least two drone strikes had hit the building.

Officers took shelter in the basement. State-owned television, Elekhbariya, said the attack injured two civilians.

The Israeli military said it had attacked the entrance gate of the Syrian regime's military headquarters complex in Damascus.

The Israeli military said it also continues to attack "Syria regime" targets in southern Syria, including tanks and pickup trucks equipped with machine guns heading to Sweida.

Syrian Human Rights Network reported 169 people were killed in violence this week. Security sources said the number of victims reached 300.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the number of victims.