Israeli Strike Hits Syrian Regime's Military Headquarters In Damascus

The Israeli military said on Wednesday that it attacked the entrance of the Syrian military headquarters in the capital of Damascus. An Israeli strike had also hit the defence ministry in the capital, two Syrian security sources told Reuters.

"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.

The strikes came as clashes continued in the southern Syrian city of Sweida. The strikes happened as the ceasefire between the government forces and Druze armed groups collapsed.

According to Israel, it is acting to protect the Druze.

The Druze religious sect began as a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. More than half of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981.

Earlier, the Syrian government deployed its forces in the Sweida, which is a Druze-majority city, in a bid  by the Islamist authorities to extend their power to the area controlled by local armed group.

Clashes began on Sunday between factions from the Druze religious minority and Bedouin tribes, who are Sunni Muslim, killing more than 100 people.

The two sides have a history of feud in Sweida.

In order to reestablish security, the Syrian government forces had sent reinforcements to the region.

Syria's Defence Ministry had earlier blamed the militia in Sweida for violating the ceasefire agreement, causing the Syrian army soldiers to return fire and continue military operations in the Druze-majority province.

"Military forces continue to respond to the source of fire inside the city of Sweida, while adhering to rules of engagement to protect residents, prevent harm, and ensure the safe return of those who left the city back to their homes," the statement said.

Islamist insurgent groups had ousted Syria's leader Bashar Assad and brought an end to a nearly 14-year civil war. Since then, the country has struggled to consolidate control over the territory.

The current escalation began with kidnappings from both the sides -- Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed factions. The government forces had intervened to restore order, but they had also clashed with the Druze.

On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that the Israeli army "will continue to attack regime forces until they withdraw from the area - and will also soon raise the bar of responses against the regime if the message is not understood."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Tuesday night that Israel has "a commitment to preserve the southwestern region of Syria as a demilitarized area on Israel's border" and has "an obligation to safeguard the Druze locals."