Israel carried out multiple missile strikes on Syria’s defence ministry compound in central Damascus on Wednesday, destroying part of the building and rattling the nearby presidential palace, according to people familiar with the incident and local medical sources. Two sources, including a Syrian eyewitness, told Reuters that an armoured convoy carrying unidentified Western diplomats was passing within a few dozen metres of the ministry when the missiles hit. None of the diplomats was injured and the vehicles continued their journey; their nationalities and destination were not disclosed. A Syrian medical official said the attack killed five members of the security forces stationed at the site. Footage showed plumes of smoke rising over the capital shortly after the explosions. Israel said the raid was part of a broader campaign to protect Druze communities in Syria’s southern Sweida province, where government forces have been battling militants. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad dismissed the explanation, accusing Israel of seeking to undermine his government’s reconciliation efforts.