Israel said it struck tanks in southern Syria after fighting broke out between rival groups and the new Damascus regime.
Clashes between Bedouin tribespeople and Druze militias claimed dozens of lives, with reports saying that Syrian forces backed the Bedouins. Israel’s defense minister said it destroyed the tanks as a “warning” to Damascus that it would not allow harm to the Druze, many of whom live in Israel.
Since the fall of the Assad regime, Syria’s leaders have been keen to portray the country as modern and inclusive, and major powers have sought to support its transition from autocracy — Gulf nations are helping pay for reconstruction, and London reestablished official ties this month — but deep sectarian divisions remain.
AD