Israeli air strikes targeted key government sites in Damascus on Wednesday, including areas near the Syrian presidential palace and the Syrian Army General Command headquarters, according to local media and eyewitness accounts. The attacks mark a significant escalation in regional tensions as clashes intensify between Syrian authorities and Druze communities in the southern Sweida Province.
Local television footage showed thick smoke rising from Umayyad Square in central Damascus after at least five strikes reportedly destroyed sections of the military headquarters. Another strike near the al-Shaab presidential palace sent plumes of white smoke over the mountainous area housing the complex. While no casualties have been confirmed, Syria's state-run Al-Ikhbariya channel earlier reported two civilians injured in what it called an "Israeli aggression."
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated the strikes appeared retaliatory, linked to ongoing conflicts between interim authorities and Druze groups in Sweida. Analysts suggest the precision targeting of symbolic government buildings signals Israel's heightened engagement in Syria's internal security dynamics.
Regional observers await official responses as Damascus remains silent on the attacks. The strikes coincide with increased military activity across southern Syria, raising concerns about broader destabilization in the conflict-weary nation.
