Israel military says hit entrance of Syrian military HQ in Damascus
DAMASCUS
Syrian military members arrive to patrol the area as clashes between Druze and Bedouin Arab tribes continue in the southern Syrian province of Al-Suwayda, bordering Jordan, on July 14, 2025.
Israel said Wednesday it had hit Syria's military headquarters, after vowing to step up strikes unless the government withdrew its forces from areas in Syria's south that recently saw deadly clashes between Druze and Bedouin tribes.
"A short while ago, the (Israeli military) struck the entrance of the Syrian regime's military headquarters in the area of Damascus in Syria," a statement read.
Syrian state television reported that two people were wounded in central Damascus, without giving the exact location.
Previous day, Syria strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes on the country’s south as a “treacherous aggression” and a grave violation of international law.
“This criminal act constitutes a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic, a flagrant breach of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“It is a reprehensible example of ongoing aggression and external interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states.”
The ministry said that the Israeli attacks came “at a calculated moment and within a suspicious context, clearly aimed at undermining national stability and striking at Syrian unity at a critical juncture in which the state is working to consolidate security and emerge from the aftermath of war.”
The Interior Ministry accused Israel of supporting armed groups in Suwayda and launching airstrikes on Syrian military and security positions, resulting in the deaths of several security and army personnel.
Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday called on Syria to "leave the Druze in Sweida alone."
"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," he said in a statement. Syrian forces should withdraw, he added, and promised no let-up in Israeli military attacks until that happened, saying Israel would "raise the level of responses against the regime if the message is not understood".
Clashes continue in parts of the city, according to a statement, as the government coordinates with community leaders to reassert control and stabilize the area.
Israeli warplanes launched multiple airstrikes targeting southern Syria’s Suwayda governorate and Daraa in the country’s southwest.
The attacks came as Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra announced a full ceasefire in Suwayda following negotiations with local community leaders.
On Monday, more than 30 people were killed and nearly 100 others injured in clashes between armed Bedouin tribal fighters and Druze militias in Suwayda.
Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.
A transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in Syria in January.
Türkiye also condemned Israel's military intervention in the recent developments in southern Syria, urging the attacks to be urgently halted, said the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.
"We condemn Israel’s use of military force to intervene in the recent developments in the south of Syria and emphasize that these attacks must cease immediately," said the ministry in a statement.
Maintaining stability and security in Syria primarily benefits the Syrian people, along with the neighboring countries and the broader region, the statement further read.
"Accordingly, the steps taken by the Syrian government to establish security across the country and strengthen its presence should be supported," it added.
