Israel threatens to attack city near Syria’s capital
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the regime’s military to prepare for potential further military aggression against Syria, claiming that the Druze population in the city of Jaramana, near the Syrian capital Damascus, is “under threat.”
In a statement, Netanyahu and the regime’s minister for military affairs Israel Katz warned of Israeli “retaliation” if the Druze community was “harmed,” pledging “full support” for them inside Syria.
Shortly after the threats, local Syrian sources reported hearing explosions in Jaramana, with a reporter for the new Syrian administration’s broadcasting service alleging taking place of clashes around the al-Karama Square in the city.
According to Lt. Col. Hossam Al-Tahhan, Damascus countryside’s “Security Chief,” an incident at a Jaramana checkpoint escalated when the administration’s military forces were reportedly “stopped, disarmed, beaten, and fired upon.”
One soldier was killed, while another was wounded and briefly taken captive, the official added.
Armed militants later stormed the local police station, seizing weapons and expelling officers, he claimed, saying mediation efforts eventually led to the captive’s release.
It, however, was not immediately clear whether the explosion had been caused by the purported clashes or had resulted from a staged attack against the city.
Netanyahu’s threats come amid broader Israeli aggression against Syria.
In 2011, the Israeli regime began backing up Takfiri terrorist groups and intensifying its deadly aggression against Syria as a means of trying to oust the Arab country’s democratically-elected government of Bashar al-Assad, which had consistently proven an opponent of Tel Aviv’s regional aggression.
Late last year, the regime ramped up its attacks across the Syrian territory even further, claiming that it sought to prevent violence inside Syria from spilling over into the occupied territories.
Israeli forces even entered the United Nations-demarcated buffer zone between Syria and the occupied Palestinian territories in the country’s Tel Aviv-occupied Golan Heights in a move that was condemned by the UN.
Most recently, the regime launched deadly air raids near Damascus International Airport and other regions, drawing widespread condemnation from Arab nations, including Iraq and Egypt.
The Israeli regime, though, continues to try to justify its military operations against Syria under the pretext of “security concerns.”
The Israeli premier’s rhetoric on Jaramana also follows his recent call for “demilitarization” of southern Syria, a move widely rejected by Syrians who view it as a violation of their country’s sovereignty.
Large-scale protests erupted across Syria following the remarks, with demonstrators condemning Tel Aviv’s military adventurism and reaffirming their support for Syria’s territorial integrity.
The Israeli regime has, meanwhile, been reportedly exerting pressure on the United States, its biggest ally, to ensure that Syria remained “weak and divided,” with Russia maintaining its military presence in the Arab country.
According to a recent report, the Israeli regime is exerting pressure on the United States to ensure that Syria remains weak and divided, with Russia maintaining its military presence in the country.
One way to stop Damascus from regaining its strength is to let Russia keep its military bases in the country, four sources familiar with the efforts were cited in a report by Reuters as saying.
