At least 13 Syrians were killed and six Israeli soldiers wounded on Friday in a southern Syrian village during an Israeli raid, allegedly targeting members of a militant group.
Syria's Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli military operation as a war crime.
“Syria denounces the criminal aggression” of the Israeli army in the village of Beit Jinn, the Foreign Ministry said, adding that such acts aim to “ignite the region” in conflict.
The Israeli army said it raided the southern Syrian village of Beit Jinn with the aim of detaining two members of the so-called Islamic Group which it claimed were plotting to carry out an attack against Israeli civilians.
But in a statement, the Islamic Group – a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood based in Lebanon – denied having a presence in Syria. "We emphasise that the Islamic Group is Lebanese and has no activity outside of Lebanon, and reject having our name associated with any actions that we hold no connection to."
The Israeli army said troops arrested the two members – brothers – while at home in their beds, but came under fire by unknown assailants as they left with the two suspects. Israeli troops returned fire as its air force launched air strikes.
“The suspects operated in the area of Beit Jinn in southern Syria and advanced terror attacks against Israeli civilians,” Israel's military said.
Local official Abdul Rahman Al Hamrawi told AFP that Israel raided the village south-west of Damascus that sits on the foothills of Mount Hermon, sparking clashes.
“The Israeli occupation army raided Beit Jinn to arrest three young men from the village, leading to clashes with residents who tried to resist the Israeli incursion,” he said.
“Following the clashes, the Israeli occupation forces shelled the area with artillery and drones.”
Syrian state TV said that drones continued to be heard after the attack while people were forced to leave their homes and seek safety.
“There are still people under the rubble who require assistance,” a reporter for Syria TV said.
Dr Tawfiq Ismail Hasaba, the director of health in rural Damascus, told state news agency Sana that it was difficult to reach the victims in the first hours after the attack, adding that some of the wounded were in critical condition and required surgery.
On Thursday, the Israeli forces hit Tal Al Ahmar Al Sharqi, in the countryside of Quneitra, with three artillery shells, while Israeli settlers crossed the borders with Syria, according to Syria TV.
Israel stepped up strikes on Syria after the fall of the Assad regime. It hit targets in Damascus, destroyed much of the country's heavy weaponry and sent its troops across the border to seize territory in the south.
Syria's new authorities have avoided retaliation and say they are not seeking conflict with neighbouring states. Instead, Syria has been seeking assistance from Russia to deploy troops that would act as a buffer to deter from Israeli attacks. Under a 2018 arrangement with the Assad government, Russian military police patrolled the border area, alongside UN peacekeepers.
However, throughout the period of Russian patrols, Israel conducted hundreds of attacks, with more than 300 air strikes in 2024 alone.
