Routine television news segments in Damascus took a terrifying turn when a sudden explosion erupted behind Syrian reporters during a live broadcast. The blast, which occurred at the Ministry of Defence building in the heart of Syria’s capital, was the result of Israeli airstrikes. The damatic videos of the explosion quickly spread across social media, drawing widespread attention.
Israel is now bombing the middle of Damascus, Syria. pic.twitter.com/ek2f6kfZHJ
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) July 16, 2025
#BREAKING: Massive explosion rocks the Syrian capital Damascus during a live report by Rudaw correspondent Solin Mohammedamin. pic.twitter.com/dyOp2kQ8f0
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) July 16, 2025
🚨 Breaking: More Israeli attacks on military targets in Damascus, capital of Syria 👇
Israel is the only country that cares about the massacre of the Druze, and is intervening to stop it. pic.twitter.com/nBytNfKlvV
— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) July 16, 2025
Other visuals showed people fleeing the area as strikes hit the Syrian defence ministry.
Israel strikes Syrian military buildings in Damascus, after regime forces carried out horrific massacres against the Druze community in Southern Syria.
The countries regime failed to comply with multiple warnings from the Israeli military.
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) July 16, 2025
Israel later confirmed it had carried out the strikes, targeting key military sites in central Damascus, including a government compound and another location near the presidential palace. The strikes mark one of the most direct Israeli operations in the Syrian capital in recent years.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz shared the viral video of the explosion and posted on X: “The painful strikes have begun.”
החלו המכות הכואבות pic.twitter.com/1kJFFXoiua
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) July 16, 2025
Clashes in Sweida Trigger Escalation
The airstrikes came amid intensifying conflict in southern Syria’s Sweida region, home to the country’s Druze minority. NPR reported that Syrian military forces, in alliance with Bedouin militias, have been engaged in heavy clashes with Druze armed factions. In response, Israel said it launched strikes earlier in the week to prevent Syrian weapons from reaching the border and to protect the Druze community.
According to AP, Wednesday’s attacks followed a drone strike on the same Ministry of Defence building. Syrian state media reported at least 13 people were injured in the strikes, which also hit areas near the presidential palace.
Israeli Troops Redeployed to Golan Heights, Syrian Govt Accuses Militias of Ceasefire Violation
In a sign of further escalation, a senior Israeli military official told AP—on condition of anonymity—that a full brigade, typically involving thousands of soldiers, is being pulled out of Gaza and sent to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The military, the official added, is preparing for “a multitude of scenarios” as tensions rise along the Syrian border.
The current round of violence comes as Syria’s post-civil war leadership attempts to stabilise the country following the December ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad by a coalition of Islamist insurgent groups.
Syria’s Defence Ministry blamed militias in Sweida for breaching a ceasefire agreement reportedly reached on Tuesday. The army, it claimed, only responded in accordance with “rules of engagement to protect residents, prevent harm, and ensure the safe return of those who left the city back to their homes.”
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