Israeli airstrikes: Israel carried out airstrikes near the presidential palace in the Syrian capital Damascus on Friday, in what Israeli officials described as a warning of possible intervention against attacks on the Drupe minority.
Israeli airstrikes, The Israeli military said the strikes were aimed at areas linked to government-controlled militant groups.
Meanwhile, Syria’s Drupe spiritual leader, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, described the sectarian violence near Damascus as “genocide” and called for immediate international intervention. He said a government that kills its own people cannot protect its people.
According to AFP, 102 people have been killed in clashes in Syria this week, including 30 government supporters, 21 Drupe fighters and 10 civilians. The clashes began after an allegedly blasphemous audio recording was circulated on social media, sparking a strong reaction in Drupe areas.
Israel has said that if the current Syrian government fails to protect the Drupe minority, it will take action itself. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that his government cannot remain silent about the atrocities against the Drupe community.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Foreign Ministry has said that the government is committed to protecting all minorities in the country. But Drupe leaders say that the government’s claims are hollow, and its extremist supporters are themselves involved in the massacre of civilians.
The Drupe community announced after a meeting in the Seat province that it is part of the united national mainstream of Syria and rejects any kind of separation or division.
The US State Department has also called the ongoing violence against the Drupe minority in Syria unacceptable and has demanded that those responsible be brought to justice.