UN chief calls for 'maximum restraint' after Israeli air strikes in Syria

Antonio Guterres alarmed over continued Israeli breaches of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity

A boy holds an empty shell reportedly left behind by Israeli troops in Horsh Sad Tassil, in Syria's southern province of Deraa, on April 3. AFP

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern on Wednesday over Israeli air strikes in Syria, calling for "maximum restraint" to prevent further escalation.

Stephane Dujarric, a UN spokesman, said Mr Guterres was alarmed by continued Israeli breaches of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as breaches of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement.

Syria said Israel launched more strikes near Damascus on Wednesday, after sectarian clashes left nearly 40 dead over two days. The battles erupted overnight in Sahnaya, near Damascus, which is home to Druze and Christian residents.

The intensifying attacks on Syria’s minority communities have raised questions about the government’s ability to rein in radical factions in its coalition.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel had conducted a "warning action" against an "extremist group preparing to attack the Druze population" in Sahnaya.

"A stern message was conveyed to the Syrian regime. Israel expects them to act to prevent harm to the Druze community," Mr Netanyahu’s office said.

This marked Israel's first announced military strike in support of Syria's Druze community since former Syrian president Bashar Al Assad was toppled, underscoring its profound distrust of the Islamist provisional government that has succeeded him.

The move also presented another obstacle for interim President Ahmad Al Shara, as he struggles to assert authority over the fractured nation.

UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen also denounced the violence as "unacceptable" and voiced concern over the risk of “further escalation of an extremely fragile situation".