Israel strikes Syria

[Anchor]

Israel has now conducted airstrikes on the capital of its neighboring country, Syria.

The reason for the attack was to protect the Syrian minority group close to Israel.

For now, the situation has calmed down due to international mediation, but tensions remain high.

This is a report from Kim Gae-hyung in Dubai.

[Report]

Suddenly, bombings occur in the city center, and columns of smoke cover the area.

A female anchor, who was live on air, was startled by the bombings and took cover.

On July 16 local time, Israel conducted airstrikes on the Ministry of Defense building in Damascus, the capital of Syria.

The area around the presidential palace, located just about 2 kilometers away, also suffered damage.

Israel's reason for the attack is that the Syrian army, which intervened to maintain order amid recent violent clashes between tribes in southern Syria, violently suppressed the Druze minority.

The Druze are of Arab descent but maintain a strong bond with Israel.

[Benjamin Netanyahu/Prime Minister of Israel: "We are committed to protecting the Druze residents. We are currently conducting high-intensity operations for this purpose."]

As tensions rise between Israel and Syria, the United States, Arab nations, and Turkey have urgently stepped in to mediate.

The U.S. requested the withdrawal of Syrian government forces, and Syria accepted this.

[Ahmed al-Sharaa/Interim President of Syria: "We are not afraid of war. However, we have chosen the national interest of Syria over chaos and destruction."]

However, many observers believe that the embers of conflict that have persisted in southern Syria for years have only temporarily subsided.

In this region, clashes between the Druze and Bedouin tribes have reportedly resulted in about 350 deaths since July 13.

This is Kim Gae-hyung from KBS News in Dubai.