Baku. TurkicWorld:
Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Thursday that protecting Druze citizens and their rights is "our priority.”, TurkicWorld reports, citing Al-Awsat.
In his first televised statement after powerful Israeli airstrikes on Damascus on Wednesday, Sharaa addressed Druze citizens saying "we reject any attempt to drag you into hands of an external party.”
"We are not among those who fear the war. We have spent our lives facing challenges and defending our people, but we have put the interests of the Syrians before chaos and destruction," he said.
He added that the Syrian people are not afraid of war and are ready to fight if their dignity is threatened.
Israel's airstrikes blew up part of Syria's defense ministry and hit near the presidential palace.
But Sharaa said: "Possessing great power does not necessarily mean achieving victory, just as triumph in one arena does not guarantee success in another."
The Syrian government announced on Wednesday a new ceasefire in Sweida, a Druze-majority city, and a halt to military operations there after days of violence.
“We assigned local factions and Druze spiritual leaders the responsibility of maintaining security in (Sweida), recognizing the gravity of the situation and the need to avoid dragging the country" into a new war, Sharaa said.
