Syrian Militiamen Threaten Israel and Druze Community

Armed Syrian militiamen, reportedly linked to the al-Assad regime and operating near the Druze province of As-Suwayda, have released a video threatening Israel and the local Druze population. The threats follow Syrian regime concerns that Israel is arming and training Druze individuals in southern Syria, potentially to support an offensive to reclaim areas from which they were expelled last year. The video shows a large group of armed men with various weapons, from assault rifles to heavy machine guns and missile launchers, issuing direct and harsh warnings. They declared, "We warn the Zionist entity, for any military intervention that touches Daraa, Suwayda, and Syria, we will respond with the strength that Allah has given us." The group also stated, "Any aggression against our people in Hauran will cause us to respond with an iron fist," adding they are fully prepared to sacrifice their lives, homes, and families for the land. They concluded by emphasizing, "We emphasize to you, O infidels, that we will never give up our land and our country, and we will give everything we have."