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The Israeli military on Monday launched a rare drone strike on Syrian government tanks near the southern village of Sami’, in the Sweida governorate, where days of violent clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes have left dozens dead.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strike was necessary to protect the Druze minority and prevent potential threats to Israeli security.
According to an official military statement, the tanks were identified en route to the embattled city of Sweida and were targeted before they could enter the conflict zone.
“The IDF struck the tanks to prevent their arrival to the area,” the statement read, emphasizing that the presence of heavy military assets in southern Syria could pose a strategic threat to Israel.
Footage released by the military showed a small munition being launched from an Israeli Air Force drone, with no injuries reported. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the operation was meant to send “a message and a clear warning to the Syrian regime. We will not allow harm to the Druze in Syria.”
The airstrike comes amid a sharp escalation in sectarian violence in southern Syria. Fighting erupted last week between armed Druze factions and Sunni Bedouin tribes, sparked by the kidnapping and robbery of a Druze vegetable vendor, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The clashes have since intensified, drawing in Syrian government forces, which the observatory claims have sided with Bedouin groups.
The Syrian Interior Ministry confirmed that more than 30 people have died, with nearly 100 injured. The observatory reported a higher toll of 89 dead, including 14 security personnel. Government forces deployed to Sweida early Monday, clashing with what it described as “outlawed armed groups.”
Israel, which hosts a Druze population of around 150,000—mainly in the Golan Heights and northern regions—has long expressed concern over the safety of Druze communities in Syria. It has previously delivered humanitarian aid and issued warnings against Syrian military operations near Druze-populated areas.
Monday’s airstrike is one of the few direct military actions taken by Israel against the new Syrian government, which replaced the regime of Bashar al-Assad following his ouster in December. The new authorities, largely backed by Sunni
, have struggled to restore stability and have faced accusations of targeting minorities.
In a statement released Monday, Druze religious leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri called for international protection, accusing the Syrian government and security services of supporting “takfiri gangs”—a term for radical Sunni militants.
The United Nations also voiced concern. Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Najat Rochdi urged both the government and local armed factions to protect civilians and engage in meaningful dialogue to prevent further escalation.
As regional tensions rise, Israeli officials reaffirmed their position: “Israel will not stand idly by in the face of threats to the Druze,” said Defense Minister Katz.