“Extremist threat” cited: Israel ends military action in Syria’s Sahnaya
Shafaq News/ Israel has concluded its military operation in the Syrian town of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, southwest of Damascus, following a wave of sectarian violence and escalating regional tensions, Arab media reported on Wednesday.
The Israeli airstrikes, targeting what were described as “extremist threats” near Druze communities, coincided with unrest that swept through several towns in the area, prompting Syrian security forces to intervene.
According to Syrian state media (SANA), Colonel Hossam Al-Tahan, Director of Security in Damascus countryside, announced that government forces had been deployed to restore order in the affected towns, including Jaramana and Sahnaya, after days of deadly violence.
The unrest began Tuesday in Jaramana, a predominantly Druze suburb of the capital, after a controversial audio recording—allegedly by a Druze individual and perceived as insulting to the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)—circulated online. The message reportedly provoked a retaliatory attack by Sunni militants, resulting in over a dozen fatalities.
By early Wednesday, the violence had spilled into nearby Sahnaya. Armed groups launched assaults on government checkpoints on the town’s outskirts, killing several personnel from the Public Security Directorate, according to the Syrian Interior Ministry.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least 22 people were killed in Sahnaya, including six Druze civilians and 16 government-affiliated forces.
Shortly after the clashes, Israeli warplanes conducted airstrikes near Sahnaya. The attacks followed an earlier “warning strike” targeting what Israel called “extremist elements” preparing attacks against Druze populations.
In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strikes aimed to protect Druze residents, while also conveying a direct message to Damascus- Israel expects it to act in order to prevent harm to the Druze.
A source from Syria’s Interior Ministry told Reuters that one member of the country’s newly formed security forces was killed in the Israeli strike, asserting that Syrian forces were trying to suppress fighting between armed factions operating outside state authority.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee confirmed that Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir had ordered Israeli forces to remain on high alert, prepared to carry out additional strikes if threats to Druze communities persist.
Israel has previously intervened in Druze-populated regions during episodes of unrest, including a similar flare-up in March. The Israeli government has also facilitated cross-border visits by Druze religious leaders from Syria in recent years to support communal ties.
To de-escalate tensions, Druze elders and dignitaries from al-Suwayda province reportedly traveled to Sahnaya for mediation. Sheikh Sami Abi Al-Muna, the spiritual leader of the Druze community, condemned sectarian incitement and called for national unity. Sheikh Samih Yousef Al-Rayshi warned that continued violence could compel the Druze to seek external protection, despite a longstanding position against foreign intervention.
In Israel, Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif urged calm, assuring the community that both Israeli authorities and international actors were closely monitoring the situation.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt called on Damascus to conduct a transparent investigation and offered to return to Syria personally to convey the concerns of the Druze community. He also warned against allowing the crisis to be exploited for broader Israeli strategic purposes.
