Israel bombs near Syrian Defense Ministry, saying it is supporting religious minority

Clashes raged in the Syrian city of Sweida after a ceasefire between government forces and Druze armed groups collapsed and as Israel threatened to escalate its involvement.

Clashes raged in the southern Syrian city of Sweida on Wednesday after a ceasefire between government forces and Druze armed groups collapsed and as Israel threatened to escalate its involvement, saying it’s in support of the Druze religious minority.

The Israeli army struck near the entrance to the Syrian Ministry of Defense in Damascus and targeted the same site several hours later with a larger strike. Israel has also launched a series of airstrikes on convoys of government forces in southern Syria since the clashes erupted and has beefed up forces on the border.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters he was “very concerned” about the strikes. “We want the fighting to stop because we had a ceasefire,” he said, adding that the U.S. was talking with “all the relevant sides and hopefully we can bring it to a conclusion but we’re very concerned.”

Syria’s Defense Ministry had earlier blamed militias in the Druze-majority area of Sweida for violating a ceasefire agreement that had been reached Tuesday, causing Syrian army soldiers to return fire. It said they were “adhering to rules of engagement to protect residents, prevent harm, and ensure the safe return of those who left the city back to their homes.”

Meanwhile, reports of attacks on civilians continued to surface, and Druze with family members in the conflict zone searched desperately for information about their fate amid communication blackouts.