Israel carried out a second round of airstrikes in Damascus, Syria, on Wednesday afternoon, this time targeting the country’s Defence Ministry, located near the presidential palace.

Earlier the same day, Israel had also launched strikes on the Syrian army headquarters in the capital. These attacks, according to Israeli officials, were intended as a warning to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, urging him to halt violence against the Druze community in the southern Sweida province.

Druze Community Under Attack

In recent weeks, violence in Sweida province has escalated sharply. According to reports, pro-regime fighters, backed by the Syrian military, have killed dozens of Druze—a small religious group with communities in southern Syria, northern Israel, and Lebanon.

This isn't the first time minorities have suffered under Sharaa’s regime. In the past, government-aligned forces were also accused of massacring more than 1,000 Shia Alawites in western Syria.

As per the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), 248 people have died in recent clashes in Sweida, 92 of them from the Druze community. The SOHR added that the Syrian army alone is responsible for at least 21 of those deaths.

Israel Responds with Force

The Israeli military released aerial footage showing its earlier strike on the Syrian army headquarters. They stated, “From the General Staff compound in Damascus, Syrian regime commanders manage the fighting and dispatch regime forces to the As-Suwayda area. In addition, a military target was struck in the area of the Syrian regime’s Presidential Palace in the Damascus area.”

Although videos of the second strike on the defence ministry began circulating on social platform X, Firstpost could not verify the authenticity of the footage at the time of reporting.

Disputed Claims on Ground Reality

President Sharaa claimed that government troops were in Sweida to prevent further violence. However, multiple sources, including SOHR, local witnesses, and Druze community members, told AFP that Syrian soldiers have actively participated in attacks, aligning themselves with Sunni groups targeting the Druze population.

Israel Issues a Warning

Wednesday's airstrikes were part of a broader response by Israel, which has so far carried out 160 strikes in Syria to push back against regime-led aggression toward the Druze.

Previously, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz addressed President Sharaa directly, saying, “Leave the Druze in Sweida alone.”

He went on to add, “As we have made clear and warned, Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will enforce the demilitarisation policy we have decided on.”

The latest Israeli airstrikes signal a strong stance against Syria's internal violence, especially toward minority groups. With more than 240 lives lost in recent weeks and ongoing reports of targeted killings of Druze civilians, Israel has warned it will continue to act militarily if attacks persist.