Israeli escalates strikes in Syria, targeting entrance to Ministry of Defense Headquarters in Daramsuq following reports of civilian executions of Druze in Suwayda

DARAMSUQ / SUWAYDA, Syria — Tensions have sharply escalated in southern Syria this week as Israeli airstrikes targeted government military sites in Daramsuq (Damascus) and Suwayda following a wave of violence between Syrian government forces, tribal militias, and local Druze fighters. The strikes come as the government faces mounting accusations of committing summary executions and abuses against Druze civilians in the embattled province.

On Wednesday, the Israeli military confirmed it had launched drone attacks on the entrance of Syria’s Ministry of Defence in Daramsuq. The strikes, which reportedly wounded two civilians, were framed by Israel as a direct response to violence against the Druze minority in Suwayda. “We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarisation of the area adjacent to our border with Syria,” the Israeli government said in a joint statement with the military, which also confirmed additional strikes on military vehicles and infrastructure near Suwayda.

⭕️The IDF struck the entrance of the Syrian regime’s military headquarters in the area of Damascus in Syria.

The IDF continues to monitor developments and the regime’s actions against Druze civilians in southern Syria. In accordance with directives from the political echelon,… pic.twitter.com/WSyBFrCiog

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 16, 2025

A SyriacPress reporter in Daramsuq who visited the Ministry of Defense building following the strikes stated they saw no one visibly injured and no visible infrastructural damage. People seemed to be moving around the area as normal. “It is as if nothing even happened,” they reported.

The Syrian government, dominated by the leadership of the now-dissolved Islamist group Hayat Tahri al-Sham (HTS), condemned what it termed “treacherous Israeli aggression,” insisting on its right to respond. State-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) confirmed that the Israeli strikes in Suwayda killed several security personnel.

Suwayda, a predominantly Druze region that had largely remained on the sidelines during the Syrian civil war, now faces one of its most severe internal crises in years. According to Sweida24, artillery and mortar shells rained down on the city Wednesday morning, collapsing a tenuous ceasefire declared the previous day by Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra. Residents reported power outages and said they were sheltering in their homes amid continued shelling and gunfire.

The conflict in Suwayda began over the weekend with clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin armed groups. The violence quickly drew in Syrian government troops, who entered the city claiming to mediate. However, rights monitors and residents allege the troops instead turned their weapons on Druze neighborhoods. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that government forces and allied militias executed at least 21 Druze civilians, including 12 people at a family guesthouse and three siblings gunned down in front of their mother.

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The latest violence has left more than 200 people dead since Sunday, including 93 security personnel, 71 Druze civilians, and 18 Bedouins, according to the AFP via France24. A resident in the city center described a scene of horror: “There are executions, houses and shops that have been torched, and robberies and looting,” he told AFP by phone.

International reaction has been limited so far, though US special envoy Tom Barrack expressed concern over the rising violence. “We are seeking a peaceful, inclusive outcome for Druze, Bedouin tribes, the Syrian government and Israeli forces,” he said.

Meanwhile, Druze leaders have voiced mixed reactions. Some had initially welcomed the deployment of government forces to restore order, but others have since condemned the military’s actions and called for international protection. “We are not against the state,” said Amal, a 46-year-old resident, “but we are against surrendering our weapons without a state that treats everyone the same.”

With Israel vowing to continue strikes to protect Druze communities and Syria’s government maintaining its crackdown, the fragile truce in Suwayda appears all but shattered, plunging the region into renewed turmoil.