Beirut, July 16: Israeli warplanes struck Syrian army tanks in southern Syria’s Sweida province on Monday after government forces deployed to quell escalating sectarian violence between Druze and Bedouin militias, officials said. The strikes came amid growing Israeli concern over the Syrian military’s movement near its border and rising communal tensions that have left scores dead.
At least 18 Syrian troops were killed in the Israeli strikes, according to Syrian state television. The Israeli military said the tanks posed a threat to its security as they advanced toward Sweida city and warned Damascus against harming the country’s Druze minority.
“This is a clear warning to the Syrian regime — we will not allow harm to be done to the Druze community in Syria,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement following the airstrikes.
The intervention marks a deepening of Israeli involvement in Syria, where it has increasingly positioned itself as a protector of the Druze sect, a religious minority with communities in both countries. Since Islamist former rebel commander Ahmed al-Sharaa — previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani — assumed Syria’s presidency in December, Israel has vowed to prevent the Syrian military from expanding operations in the south.
Monday’s violence erupted after Syrian government forces moved into Sweida city to restore order, following two days of clashes that have killed more than 30 people and injured nearly 100, according to the Syrian Interior Ministry. Local Druze leaders claimed the real toll was far higher, with at least 150 Druze fighters reportedly killed — a figure Reuters could not independently verify.
The unrest was triggered by the reported abduction and public humiliation of a Druze businessman by an armed group on Friday. The incident quickly escalated into tit-for-tat kidnappings between Druze and Bedouin fighters and exploded into armed conflict by Sunday, reaching the Druze-majority city for the first time.
Clashes intensified on Monday as local militias resisted government forces, accusing Damascus of siding with Islamist factions. “They entered the area under the pretext of protection, but began bombing our people and assisting takfiri gangs with drones and heavy weapons,” said Druze spiritual leader Hikmat Hijiri, using a term often applied to hardline Islamist groups.
Sweida residents described scenes of panic and chaos as fighting raged across the city. “Blood is everywhere from both sides,” said a 34-year-old Druze woman, who fled to Iraq on Monday.
Syria’s Interior Minister Anas Khattab blamed the violence on a lack of security institutions following the 2024 overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. “The only solution is to reactivate these institutions to ensure civil peace,” he said.
Efforts to integrate minority armed groups, including Druze and Kurdish factions, into the new Syrian military have faced repeated setbacks, further fueling instability in the region.
Israeli strikes in recent months have increasingly targeted Syrian military positions near Druze areas. In May, Israel launched a strike near the presidential palace in Damascus in response to clashes between Druze fighters and Islamist forces.
While some Druze leaders have welcomed Israeli involvement, others have distanced themselves, wary of broader regional implications. The latest flare-up underscores the fragile nature of post-Assad Syria, where sectarian divisions, a volatile new leadership, and foreign interventions continue to fuel unrest.
