Casualties Reported as Israeli Forces Conduct Ground Operation Near Damascus
Multiple fatalities and injuries were reported following an Israeli ground operation in the vicinity of Damascus, Syria. The incident occurred in Beit Jinn, a town located southwest of the Syrian capital and near the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. The Israeli military indicated that the mission aimed to apprehend two individuals suspected of belonging to the militant group Jaama Islamiya, who were allegedly involved in planning rocket attacks against Israel.
During the operation, an exchange of gunfire took place. The Israeli forces reportedly received air support as the confrontation escalated. According to Syria's health authorities, at least ten people were confirmed dead and nearly two dozen others were wounded in the early morning event. The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs later reported a higher death toll, stating that 20 individuals lost their lives, including women and children.
The Israeli military confirmed the detention of the targeted suspects and stated that several militants were killed during the clashes. Additionally, several Israeli soldiers sustained injuries. Syrian officials claimed that the efforts to evacuate the wounded were hindered by continued gunfire from Israeli troops, who had reportedly taken positions on the outskirts of Beit Jinn.
Syrian government sources condemned the operation, characterizing it as a criminal act and accusing Israeli forces of committing a massacre. They also reported significant property damage and the displacement of numerous residents. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, reported ten fatalities, including both combatants and civilians, and noted that several people remained missing. The Observatory described the event as the largest Israeli military action in Syria since the removal of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad nearly a year ago. The organization also alleged that Israeli forces shelled parts of the town without consideration for civilian safety.
Additional reports from Syria's state news agency cited hospital officials in Damascus, indicating that five members of a single family were among those killed. Jaama Islamiya, the group at the center of the Israeli operation, is reportedly allied with both the Palestinian group Hamas and the Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah.
Following the change in Syrian leadership, Israel has stationed troops in the United Nations-monitored buffer zone between the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights and Syrian-controlled territory, including deployments on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon. The stated objective of these deployments is to prevent the establishment of radical, anti-Israeli groups in the border region.