Click to see full-size image. (Syrian Arab News Agency)
The forces of Syria’s Islamist-led interim government stormed the town of Sahnaya some 15 kilometers to the southwest of the Syrian capital, Damascus, on April 30 as Israel launched strikes in support of local fighters from the Druze religious minority.
Tensions began a day earlier from the Druze-majority town of Jaramana, close to Sahnaya, which was attacked by Sunni gunmen, some of whom affiliated with the government, over an audio recording of a Druze man cursing the Prophet Mohammad that surfaced online earlier in the week.
Over a dozen were killed in Jaraman before representatives of the government and local Druze leaders reached an agreement.
Despite the agreement in Jaramana, the situation deteriorated in Sahnaya overnight with Sunni gunmen, including members of government forces, attacking the town.
As the attack gained momentum, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that they had instructed the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to protect the Druze in Sahnaya, citing the country’s “commitment to the Druze community in Israel and to protecting their brothers in Syria.”
The two leaders also said that Israel conveyed a “serious message” to Syria’s leadership: “Israel expects it to act to prevent harm to the Druze.”
Three Israeli drone strikes targeted government forces outside the town, with the IDF announcing only the first and describing it as a “warning.” Still, it was reported that the strike killed a member of the government’s e General Security Service.
Later following an assessment, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir instructed the military to target Syrian government sites “if the violence against the Druze does not stop.”
“The IDF is monitoring developments in Syria. The forces are deployed with readiness for defense and various scenarios,” the military said in a statement.
Fighter jets of the Israeli Air Force were spotted over Sahnaya and nearby areas right after the release of the statement. Still, this didn’t stop government forces which stormed the town as the jets carried out at least two strikes, reportedly causing casualties.
The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency later confirmed that security forces were deployed near Damascus to “restore security,”
Security official Hussam al-Tahan told the news agency that the forces completed a “security operation” in Sahnaya and were deployed there to “restore security and stability.” Videos that surfaced online later showed government troops firing in the air, making religious chants and beating up what appears to be civilian captives.
It’s worth noting that Druze fighters from the governorate of al-Suwayda made an attempt to reach Sahnaya before it fell into the hands of government forces. However, they were ambushed by security forces and affiliated Sunni gunmen.
Videos posted to social networks showed the dead bodies of many of the fighters, who were apparently captured, disarmed then executed.
The exact death toll from the battle in Sahnaya and the ambush on al-Suwayda road remain unknown, but the number is expected to be in the dozens.
This was the latest episode of deadly sectarian violence in Syria where fears have been growing among minorities in the country since Islamist-led rebels, including foreign jihadists, overthrew the regime of former president Bashar al-Assad last December.
In March, more than 1,600 civilians from the Alawite religious minority were killed in a similar government crackdown on the coastal region. At the time, some Alawite leaders also called on Israel to provide them with support. However, their call went unanswered.
All in all, the latest events show how the Syrian government is opening the door for foreign interventions by targeting minorities.
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thanks to putin!!!
heheheh
prophet muhammad is a terrorist. so are his followers.
seria tão bom se esses demônios se matassem até o ultimo. o planeta agradeceria.
it seems al-jolani is going to reward uyghurs, chechens, turkmen & every other single foreign jihadi that helped him defeat assad, & the reward will be not just placing them in strategic government well payed jobs, but also giving them alawite, kurd & druze land once they get “cleansed” erdogan will merrily help. another netanyahu/mossad/cia regime change plot that backfires. when will those idiots learn.