Deadly Israeli operation in Syria sparks fears of escalation
Israeli forces have killed at least 13 people in an operation in southern Syria, Asharq Al Awsat reported on November 28th. The operation marks the deadliest since Ahmed al-Sharaa took power last year, with Israeli forces claiming to target the Jamaa Islamiya group, which is based in neighbouring Lebanon.
Israeli troops raided the village of Beit Jinn in an operation to detain militants, triggering an exchange of fire in which six Israeli soldiers were wounded, three of them in serious condition. Israeli forces said the operation had concluded with all the suspects apprehended and several militants killed.
Syrian state news agency SANA reported Israeli forces entered the village, aiming to seize local men, and when confronted with resistance by residents, they opened heavy fire. Dozens of families fled the area.
Firas Daher, a Beit Jinn resident, described events stating troops moved in around 3 am and were met with “slight resistance, with light weapons”. Troops responded with drones and helicopters and fire from heavy machine guns. ” Whenever anyone would move inside the village or any car would move, it would get hit. When we tried to take injured people to the hospital, they would hit the car carrying them,” he said.
This comes as Israel strikes neighbouring Lebanon as well. Israeli forces claim ongoing strikes are aimed at preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding after last years war which ended in a ceasefire. Tensions rose after the killing of a senior Hezbollah offical .
Since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad last December, Israel has continued to carry out strikes inside Syria, expanding military operations into territory now overseen by the new interim government. Israeli troops have also entered parts of the UN-patrolled buffer zone separating Israeli and Syrian forces on the occupied Golan Heights.
Israeli attacks persist despite efforts to ink a security deal between the two forces which continues to be delayed.
Asharq Al Awsat, Maghrebi.org
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