Israeli forces, Syrians clash in Damascus countryside; casualties reported 

At least 12 people, including children, have been killed as Israel launched another incursion into Syrian territory in the Damascus countryside, according to state media, with several Israeli soldiers also reported wounded in clashes.

Syrian state media reported on Friday that two children were among those killed in the Israeli dawn raid and strikes, which forced dozens of families to flee from the town of Beit Jinn to nearby and safer areas.

The remains of five Syrians, including two children, were taken to the Golan National Hospital in the city of al-Salam in Quneitra, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

Israeli drones also continue to fly over the area, the report added.

The Syrian Civil Defence said their teams were unable to enter Beit Jinn to rescue the wounded as the Israeli military continues to target any movement.

Israeli military incursions have become more brazen, more frequent and more violent since Israel expanded its occupation of southern Syria following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Local sources also confirmed to Al Jazeera on Friday that several Syrians were killed and others wounded in Israeli artillery and missile strikes on the town of Beit Jinn.

Clashes between the residents and the invading Israeli force erupted after the incursion.

In a statement posted on X, the Israeli military said six of its soldiers were wounded, three of them seriously in an exchange of fire.

The Israeli military added that while the operation has been “completed” and all suspects were either arrested or “eliminated”, its forces are still being deployed in the area “and will continue to operate against any threat” to Israel.

Israeli news outlet Yedioth Ahronoth said reports indicate that an Israeli force that had entered the Syrian village of Beit Jinn was surrounded, prompting air strikes and artillery shelling to extract and complete its withdrawal. This resulted in the deaths of several Syrians and injuries to others.

The area had witnessed an exchange of fire involving Israeli military helicopters after an Israeli force entered the town.

The Israeli army frequently carries out ground incursions into Syrian territory in Quneitra province in the occupied Golan Heights and Damascus countryside governorates.

Akiva Eldra, an Israeli political analyst, told Al Jazeera that some in Israel see “any kind of instability” at its border with Syria as a justification to start a military operation and establish what he termed as a “security zone”.

Israel seized territory in the Syrian Golan Heights following the 1967 war and has held it ever since. However, following the fall of al-Assad, Israel violated a 1974 agreement and again invaded its neighbour’s territory, occupying more land along the border as part of a “buffer zone”, including the strategically vital summit of Jabal al-Sheikh.

Israel was already bombing Syria before the fall of al-Assad, an ally of its regional enemy Iran. But instead of seeking to start on a new path with Syria, Israel has doubled down on its bombing campaign and increased the number of strikes this year, including in the capital, Damascus, leading to the deaths of several Syrian soldiers and hitting the Ministry of Defence.

Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s appearance with Israel’s troops in illegally occupied territory in southern Syria angered Damascus, and raised further doubts over whether a security deal between the two countries can be agreed.

Netanyahu’s visit – accompanied by several of his senior officials – signalled that he is not planning to shift from his hardline position on Syria, despite encouragement from the United States.

Across Quneitra province, the Israeli military’s tanks have established checkpoints and patrols, even setting up gates. They stop and search civilians, and some are abducted.

Described by Israel as security operations, Syrian authorities and human rights groups refer to such incidents as abductions or unlawful arrests. As many as 40 people have reportedly been detained in recent weeks.

As well as repeated Israeli bombardments and incursions, the fledgling government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been contending with keeping a lid on eruptions of sectarian violence in a nation ravaged by 14 years of ruinous civil war, as the country comes out of its isolation to rejoin the international fold, securing critical economic lifelines.