Politics Dead and injured in Israeli operation in Syria
Several people have been killed and a number injured during an operation by Israeli ground troops in the area surrounding the Syrian capital Damascus.
28.11.2025, 15:04
SDA
According to the Israeli army, it wanted to arrest two suspects in the village of Beit Jinn, southwest of the Syrian capital and close to the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. They are said to belong to the terrorist organization Al-Jama al-Islamiya and to have planned rocket attacks on Israel, among other things. According to reports, there was an exchange of fire during which Israeli soldiers also received support from the air.
According to information from the Syrian health authorities, at least ten people were killed and almost two dozen injured in the early morning incident (local time). The Syrian Foreign Ministry later announced that 20 people had been killed. According to the statement, women and children were among those killed.
Israel's armed forces claimed to have killed several militants. The suspects were arrested. However, several Israeli soldiers were also injured during the operation. According to Syrian reports, the rescue of the injured was made more difficult by shelling from Israeli soldiers, who are said to have taken up positions on the outskirts of the town.
According to a statement, the Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the operation as a "criminal attack" and accused the Israeli forces of a "massacre". Houses were also damaged and a number of people were forced to flee.
Activists: Largest Israeli operation since the fall of Assad
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in the UK, reported ten deaths. These included both fighters and civilians. Further people are reportedly missing.
According to the Observatory, this was the largest Israeli military operation in Syria since the fall of former long-term ruler Bashar al-Assad almost a year ago. According to the activists, parts of the town were shelled by the Israeli army without regard for the civilian population. The Syrian state news agency Sana reported, citing the director of a hospital in Damascus, that five of the dead belonged to the same family.
A reporter from the DPA news agency observed a fearful atmosphere among the residents who were preparing for the funeral of those killed. Many shell casings could be seen in the streets, as well as a completely burnt-out Israeli army jeep. "We have been hearing shots and screams since the morning hours," said a woman in the village.
The al-Jama al-Islamiya group is allied with both the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas and the Iranian-backed Shiite militia Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Following the fall of Assad, Israel has deployed troops in the UN-controlled buffer zone between the Golan Heights annexed by Israel and Syrian-controlled territory, including on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon. According to Israel, it does not want any radical groups hostile to Israel to settle in the border region.
