ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A powerful explosion struck the Syrian capital Damascus on Wednesday during a live report by Rudaw correspondent Solin Mohammedamin, who was reporting near the scene of the blast.
The explosion occurred in close proximity to the General Staff Command Building of the Syrian Armed Forces, near Umayyad Square in central Damascus.
Mohammedamin was standing approximately 50 to 100 meters from the building when the blast occurred, and the dramatic moment was captured on live broadcast.
Shortly after the explosion, Israel confirmed it had targeted Syrian military positions in Damascus.#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
According to AFP, the Israeli military said the strike was carried out after issuing a warning to the Syrian government - led by Islamist factions - “to leave the Druze minority alone” in the Suwayda province.
Clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters in the predominantly Druze province have escalated sharply in the past couple of days, resulting in nearly 250 deaths, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli military reported an initial strike on the entrance of a Syrian military headquarters in Damascus.
In a statement on X, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said they “struck the entrance of the Syrian regime's military headquarters in the area of Damascus in Syria.”
In separate remarks, Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic spokesperson, clarified that the targeted facility was the General Staff compound.
The IDF is “monitoring developments and actions against Druze citizens in Syria,” Adraee said, adding, “Based on directives from the [Israeli] political leadership, the IDF is attacking in that area and remains on high alert for various scenarios.”
