Tel Aviv [Israel], July 15 (ANI): Israel bombed Syrian government forces moving into the Druze-majority city of Sweida in southern Syria following days of deadly ethnic clashes, in a rare direct attack on forces loyal to Damascus' new leadership, according to Israeli officials.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that they had instructed the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to strike Syrian forces and weapons approaching Sweida 'following the attack on the Druze,' a day after Israel hit several Syrian tanks as a warning.

The attacks occurred as Syrian forces entered Sweida to quell intercommunal violence between the local Druze population and Bedouin clans, reportedly leaving nearly 100 dead. Fighting also broke out briefly between government troops and armed Druze factions that control Sweida but distrust the country's new Islamist leadership.

Syria's Defence Minister later declared a ceasefire. 'To all units operating within the city of Sweida, we declare a complete ceasefire after an agreement with the city's notables and dignitaries,' Murhaf Abu Qasra posted on X.

Most Druze religious leaders had called on fighters to disarm and allow Syrian government forces to restore order. However, some Druze leaders remained wary of central control.

'Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherly alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel, and their familial and historical ties to the Druze in Syria, and we are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them, and to ensure the demilitarization of the area adjacent to our border with Syria,' the statement from Netanyahu and Katz said.

They emphasised that the entry of Syrian troops and arms violated the existing demilitarisation policy, which prohibits forces and weapons in southern Syria that could threaten Israel.

The IDF confirmed it had targeted 'several armoured vehicles, including tanks, armoured personnel carriers, multiple rocket launchers, as well as access routes, to disrupt their arrival in the area,' after identifying an armoured column headed toward Sweida on Monday night. The military said the strikes were carried out 'per the directives of the political echelon.'

An Israeli defence official described the strikes on Tuesday as 'exceptionally large-scale,' adding, 'The State of Israel sees this as a test of its policy to demilitarise southern Syria and its commitment to the Druze.'

The violence in Sweida began on Sunday when Bedouin gunmen abducted a Druze vegetable vendor, prompting retaliatory kidnappings and clashes. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 99 deaths since the outbreak of violence, including 60 Druze, 18 Bedouin fighters, 14 Syrian security personnel, and seven unidentified individuals. These figures could not be independently verified.

Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine Al-Baba told the Associated Press: 'The real conflict is between the state and bandits and criminals, not between the state and any Syrian community. On the contrary, the state views the Druze community in Sweida as a partner in advancing the national unity project.'

Despite a general call for a ceasefire, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, one of Sweida's senior Druze spiritual leaders, opposed the entry of security forces and appealed for 'international protection.'

In Israel, the Association of Druze Discharged Soldiers and Reservists urged Netanyahu to provide military and humanitarian assistance, citing 'brutal attacks by extremist terror organisations.'

'There is an unending series of massacres, kidnappings, looting, and harm to innocent civilians -- women, children, and the elderly alike,' the group stated.

The fighting comes as interim Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who replaced Bashar al-Assad last December, faces concerns over the treatment of religious minorities under his Islamist government. Many Druze residents fear a repeat of earlier massacres targeting minorities.

'We are not against the state, but we are against surrendering our weapons without a state that treats everyone the same,' said Amal, a 46-year-old Druze woman in Sweida. (ANI)