ANKARA 

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met Friday with Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt in Damascus amid tensions and Israel's repeated attacks in Syria under the pretext of protecting the Druze community.

Syrian state news agency, SANA, said the meeting took place in the presidential palace, without providing details.

Jumblatt left the palace without making a statement, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

His visit follows violence Wednesday that was sparked by the circulation of a voice recording deemed offensive to Prophet Muhammad, which triggered sectarian tension and demands for revenge on social media, according to the Syrian Interior Ministry.

Sixteen civilians and security personnel were killed in attacks by “outlaw groups” in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, a mainly Druze town that is 12 kilometers (7 miles) from the center of Damascus in southern Syria, authorities said Wednesday.

Jumblatt urged a transparent investigation into recent deadly clashes in Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya.

The Israeli army carried out an airstrike Friday near the presidential palace in the Syrian capital.

Israeli officials claimed the strike was a message against the presence of armed groups near southern Damascus and any potential threat to the Druze community.

The timing of the strike is seen as particularly provocative, coming hours after prominent Druze community leaders released a video reaffirming their commitment to Syria’s unity and rejecting any form of division or separatism.

Observers said the strike seeks to exploit sectarian divisions, especially within the Druze community, to justify intervention and push for fragmentation.

Damascus has repeatedly affirmed that all religious and ethnic groups in Syria are equal in rights and representation.