Defense Minister Israel Katz hit out at Syria’s Islamist rulers on Friday as they move to crush a nascent insurgency by fighters from ousted president Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite sect, calling the country’s new president an al-Qaeda terrorist.
“[Abu Mohammed] al-Julani switched his robe for a suit and presented a moderate face,” Katz said in a statement, using the nom de guerre of interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. “Now he’s taken off the mask and exposed his true face: A jihadist terrorist of the al-Qaeda school who is committing horrifying acts against a civilian population.”
“Israel will defend itself against any threat from Syria,” Katz added, while vowing the military would continue to occupy a buffer zone along the border and keep working to keep southern Syria demilitarized. His comments came as Syrian security forces battled for a second day on Friday to crush a nascent insurgency by fighters from Assad’s Alawite sect, with scores reported killed as the Islamist-led government faced the biggest challenge yet to its authority. (Read More)
