CCTV footage shows armed men attacking Syrians outside Damascus nightclub

A video has emerged from Syrian capital Damascus showing armed men attacking Syrians outside a nightclub on Sunday.

The video shared by AFP appears to show armed men beating men and women as they rush out of a nightclub in the central Damascus.

A witness from a building near the club told AFP he heard gunshots and saw people leaving the area in the early morning of April 29.

AFP has verified the location of the incident, but cannot confirm the identity of the armed men.

Last week, the governorate of the Syrian capital, Damascus, closed bars and restaurants serving alcoholic beverages in a predominantly Christian neighborhood, Syrian TV reported.

The news spread like wildfire among social media activists, a large majority of whom denounced any extremist orientation the new administration might seek to foster, regardless of respect for minority rights and freedom of belief.

Local media in Damascus stated that authorities had issued a notice to close three restaurants in predominantly Christian areas of the capital, due to what they called "violations of their licenses, including serving alcoholic beverages and hookahs."

On the other hand, United Nations special envoy Geir Pedersen urged Israel on Saturday to halt its attacks on Syria "at once", after it carried out multiple air strikes.

Fresh Israeli raids were reported overnight, after Israel said repeatedly that its forces stood ready to protect the Druze minority after sectarian clashes killed 119 people, mostly Druze fighters, according to a Britain-based war monitor.

"I strongly condemn Israel's continued and escalating violations of Syria's sovereignty, including multiple air strikes in Damascus and other cities," Pedersen said in a post on X, calling "for these attacks to cease at once".