Israel strikes Syrian defence HQ in Damascus

New Delhi, Jul 16: Israel carried out a high-profile air strike on the entrance of Syria’s military headquarters in central Damascus on Wednesday, marking a major escalation in its ongoing military campaign in the country, Financial Times reported.

The Israeli military also launched strikes in southern Syria, particularly around Sweida, where violent clashes between Druze militants and Bedouin tribes have erupted in recent days. The conflict has already claimed dozens of lives and drawn in Syrian security forces.

According to FT, the air strike on the defence ministry, located on one of Damascus’s main squares, came after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz demanded the Syrian government withdraw its forces from Sweida. Katz warned that Israeli forces would continue to target regime positions until a withdrawal was secured, and threatened more intense military responses if Syria failed to act. Israel has framed its intervention as a move to protect the Druze minority in Syria. The strikes come as Syria’s transitional government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, struggles to assert full control over the country following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad last year.

Israel has increasingly taken advantage of the resulting security vacuum, expanding its presence near the border and launching repeated air strikes against Syrian military infrastructure. Regional actors, including Turkish and Arab officials, have criticised Israel’s military operations, arguing they risk destabilising Syria’s fragile post-war recovery. Damascus, for its part, has said it seeks peaceful relations with its neighbours and had been engaged in quiet talks with Israel before this latest escalation.