Israeli Fighter Jets Strike Syrian Armored Columns as Druze Militias Kidnap Bedouins in Souweyda

In the south of Syria, the situation in the province of Souweyda became “totalement chaotique” as militias druzes kidnapped several Bédouins in retaliation, triggering a cycle of violence between the two communities.

“A car bomb explosion near a Syrian Defence Ministry building in Damascus has killed at least one soldier and wounded more than 20 people, authorities say”

Al Jazeera

The same account says the province was complicated because “les forces druzes ont été épaulées par l’aviation israélienne,” while inter-Druzes vendettas unfolded between those favorable and those opposed to alignment on Damas.

Al Jazeera

On 14 July, the Syrian Ministry of Defense published a statement blaming the violence on the “vide institutionnel” that fueled tensions, and it dispatched troops from the Ministry of the Interior and military units to the area.

The entry of government forces into Souweyda then led to clashes with druze militias, including the Conseil militaire de Souweyda (CMS) formed in February 2025 from former officers of the army arab syrienne (ASL) and claiming allegiance to the cheikh Hikmat al Hijri.

The account adds that Israeli fighter jets struck several columns of government armored vehicles heading toward Souweyda, and that by 17 July Syrian armed forces, facing military failure, “ont totalement évacué l’ensemble de la province de Souweyda.”

In Damascus on Tuesday, a car bomb explosion near a facility belonging to the Syrian Ministry of Defense killed one Syrian soldier and wounded more than 20 people, according to authorities cited by Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera reported that members of an army unit discovered an improvised explosive device planted near the site in the Bab Sharqi district and that “a car bomb exploded in the same area,” while Najib al-Naasan, head of Syria’s ambulance and emergency directorate, said at least 21 people were wounded.

Al-Jazeera Net

The National likewise said the blast occurred outside a Defence Ministry building in Damascus and that an Army unit had discovered a bomb near the building in the capital's Bab Sharqi district and was trying to dismantle it when the car bomb went off nearby.

In the same incident, Najib Al Khoury described hearing “intense gunfire”, followed by a powerful explosion, and said he found his car “completely damaged because of its proximity to the blast.”

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, and Syria’s Health Ministry said at least 23 people were wounded and were transferred to hospitals nearby, according to The National.

The Damascus bombing came as Syria’s new administration worked to tighten security after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, with The Media Line describing heightened security and a heavy deployment of security forces in the area.

“Car bomb in Syrian capital leaves 1 dead, 23 injured: What to know Tuesday's bombing is the latest in a string of recent security incidents in Damascus”

Al-Monitor

The Media Line also said ISIS rhetoric had escalated in recent days, with the group circulating propaganda calling on foreign fighters in Syria to join its ranks and continue attacks against the new Syrian government.

In the Souweyda province, the Magazine Raids account says the government’s evacuation on 17 July left a “vide” that militias druzes faithful to Hikmat al Hijri were using to deploy across the region, while some state forces remained residual.

It further claims that the clashes had made at least 500 deaths, including “plus de 230 membres des forces gouvernementales,” and that the fighting risked resuming quickly after Sunni fighters from the clan Baggara arrived at the doors of Souweyda on 18 July.

The same account frames the situation as a political-military failure for Ahmed al-Charaa, saying that “aucune faction druze” had declared publicly its integration into the ministries of the interior and of defense, even as the cheikh Hikmat al-Hijri called on 17 July for druze fighters to respect the goods and persons of the Bedouin tribes.