Israel launches heavy airstrikes in Damascus, vowing to shield Druze

DAMASCUS/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel launched almighty airstrikes successful Damascus connected Wednesday, damaging the defence ministry and hitting adjacent the statesmanlike palace arsenic it vowed to destruct Syrian authorities forces attacking Druze communities successful confederate Syria and demanded they withdraw.

The attacks marked a important Israeli escalation against the Islamist-led medication of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and came contempt his warming ties with the United States and his administration's evolving information contacts with Israel.

Describing Syria's caller rulers arsenic hardly disguised jihadists, Israel has said it won't fto them determination forces into confederate Syria portion vowing to shield the area's Druze assemblage from attack, encouraged by calls from Israel's ain Druze minority.

Scores of radical person been killed this week successful unit successful and astir the predominantly Druze metropolis of Sweida, pitting fighters from the Druze number against authorities information forces and members of Bedouin tribes.

Reuters reporters heard warplanes swoop debased implicit the superior and unleash a bid of monolithic strikes. Thick columns were seen rising from the metropolis centre defence ministry.

The Israeli subject struck the entranceway to the subject office successful Damascus and a subject people adjacent the statesmanlike palace, an Israeli subject authoritative said. Israel would not let a massacre of Druze successful Syria, the authoritative said.

The Syrian Health Ministry said the strikes successful Damascus wounded 13 people, the authorities quality bureau reported.

The Israeli subject authoritative said Syrian forces were not preventing attacks connected Druze and were portion of the problem.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli subject "will proceed to run vigorously successful Sweida to destruct the forces that attacked the Druze until they retreat completely".

Sharaa is facing large challenges to stitch Syria backmost unneurotic successful the look of heavy misgivings from groups that fearfulness Islamist regularisation - mistrust exacerbated by wide killings of the Alawite number successful March.

Syrian authorities troops were dispatched to the Sweida portion connected Monday to quell warring betwixt Druze fighters and Bedouin equipped men but ended up clashing with the Druze militias themselves.

Sweida residents reached by telephone said they were holed up indoors arsenic warring continued connected Wednesday.

"We are surrounded and we perceive the fighters screaming ... we're truthful scared," said a nonmigratory of Sweida who was reached by phone.

The ace of gunfire interspersed by booms could beryllium heard successful the background. "We're trying to support the children quiescent truthful that nary 1 tin perceive us," the antheral added, asking not to beryllium identified for fearfulness of reprisals.

Druze are followers of a religion that is an offshoot of Islam and are dispersed betwixt Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

A Druze spiritual person said connected Tuesday his assemblage was being subjected to a barbaric onslaught by authorities forces. The authorities says outlawed gangs are liable for the violence.

The Israeli subject said it continued to onslaught "Syrian regime" targets successful confederate Syria, including tanks, and pickup trucks mounted with instrumentality guns heading towards Sweida.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that 169 radical had been killed successful this week's violence. Security sources enactment the toll astatine 300. Reuters could not independently verify the tolls.

U.S. URGES RESTRAINT

Following calls successful Israel to assistance Druze successful Syria, scores of Israeli Druze broke done the borderline obstruction connected Wednesday, linking up with Druze connected the Syrian side, a Reuters witnesser said. The Israeli subject said it was moving to safely instrumentality civilians who crossed the border.

U.S. Syria envoy Tom Barrack, who has praised Syria's caller rulers and declared successful May that bid was imaginable betwixt Syria and Israel, condemned unit against civilians successful Sweida.

"All parties indispensable measurement backmost and prosecute successful meaningful dialog that leads to a lasting ceasefire. Perpetrators request to beryllium held accountable," helium said.

Israeli Druze antheral Faez Shkeir said helium felt helpless watching the unit successful Syria. "My household is successful Syria - my woman is successful Syria, my uncles are from Syria, and my household is successful Syria, successful Sweida, I don't similar to spot them being killed. They kicked them retired of their homes, they robbed and burned their houses, but I can't bash anything," helium said.

Sharaa has repeatedly promised to support minorities.

A Syrian authorities connection connected Wednesday said those liable for lawlessness successful Sweida would beryllium held accountable. It said the authorities was committed to protecting the rights of the radical successful Sweida.

News outlet Sweida24 said Sweida and adjacent villages were coming nether dense artillery and mortar occurrence aboriginal connected Wednesday.

The defence ministry called connected residents of the metropolis to enactment indoors. On Tuesday, a Reuters newsman said they had seen authorities forces looting and burning homes and stealing cars and furnishings successful Sweida. One antheral showed the newsman the assemblage of his member who had been changeable successful the caput wrong their home.

(Reporting by Khalil Ashawi successful Damascus, Maya Gebeily, Yamam al-Shaar and Laila Bassam successful Beirut, Steven Scheer and Crispian Balmer, Emily Rose successful Jerusalem; Tala Ramadan, Ahmed Elimam, Elwely Elwelly successful Dubai, Nayera Abdallah; Siyabonga Sishi successful Majdal Shams, Jonathan Spicer successful Istanbul; Writing by Maya Gebeily and Tom Perry; Editing by Alex Richardson, Andrew Cawthorne and Ros Russell)