Al Arabiya offices in Syria were damaged in an Israeli strike on Damascus Wednesday.

Al Arabiya’s office in Syria has been damaged during an Israeli strike on the Syrian military headquarters in Damascus.#AlArabiya #Syria #Israel

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) July 16, 2025

Tensions escalated in Syria as Israel renewed its strikes on Sweida while also attacking Syrian army headquarters in the capital after clashes between Syrian government troops and local Druze fighters resumed in the southern Druze city.

The Israeli military said it struck the entrance to the Syrian defense ministry in Damascus, stepping up the attacks on the Syrian authorities with the declared aim of protecting the Druze minority from harm by government forces.

A ceasefire announced by Syria’s defense ministry on Tuesday night was short-lived.

Israel launched strikes Tuesday against Syrian government forces in the Druze-majority region of Sweida, saying it was acting to protect the religious minority.

Damascus had deployed troops to Sweida after clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes killed more than 100 people.

With agencies