Syria’s HTS administration rejects ‘foreign intervention’ after Israeli strike near Damascus
Syria’s Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham-led (HTS) administration has rejected all forms of “foreign intervention” in the country’s affairs after an Israeli strike hit a town near the capital Damascus, amid deadly sectarian violence.
The Foreign Ministry of the ruling regime issued a statement on Wednesday after the Israeli air raid killed one member of the HTS-aligned General Security and one civilian in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, southwest of Damascus.
The Israeli attack followed clashes between the regime’s militants and members of the Druze minority that have killed dozens of people in two days.
The ministry said it dismissed “all forms of foreign intervention,” but it did not explicitly mention Israel.
It also claimed that the HTS-led administration has “unwavering commitment to protect all components of the Syrian people … including the children of the honorable Druze community.”
The Israeli military said it had carried out the “warning strike” against “extremists” who attacked members of the Druze community.
It further announced the evacuation of three Syrian Druze citizens, who were wounded in the clashes, to a hospital in the occupied territories.
The latest wave of sectarian violence began in the predominantly Druze city of Jaramana on Tuesday.
It came after an audio clip circulated on social media purporting to be a Druze cleric insulting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The spiritual authority for the Jaramana Druze community condemned the recording, saying it was fabricated “to incite sedition and sow division among the people of the same nation.”
Elias Hanna, who lives on the edge of Sahnaya, said, “We’re worried that the massacres of the coast will repeat themselves near Sahnaya against the Druze.”
Gunmen affiliated with the ruling Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham-led regime and allied militants have fatally shot 13 Alawites in Syria’s central province of Homs.
He was referring to gruesome massacres involving the HTS-affiliated militants and armed opposition groups in the country’s western coastal region, home to the Alawite community.
The UN said its special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, is “deeply concerned” by violence in Syria, especially in the suburbs of Damascus and in Homs.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt urged members of the Druze community in Syria to reject “Israeli interference.”
Speaking after a meeting with Druze figures in Beirut, he said the occupying regime is seeking to drag the Druze into an “endless war against Muslims.”
On December 8, 2024, foreign-backed HTS-led militants announced the fall of the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad following a rapid two-week onslaught.
Since then, Israel has increased its aerial assaults on Syria and expanded its occupation of the Arab country.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over Israeli air raids on Syria, calling for “maximum restraint” to prevent further escalation.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has also called on the Tel Aviv regime to “cease” its attacks on Syria.
“At this sensitive time for Syria, the duty of the international community is to contribute to the establishment of security and stability in Syria,” the ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said in a statement.
“Given this context, Israel must put an end to its air strikes, which are damaging the country’s efforts to achieve unity and integrity.”
