Israeli forces carried out a new raid in Kiswa, southwest of Damascus, just a day after a drone strike in the same area killed six Syrian soldiers. The latest move signals a further escalation in the region’s tensions.
The Operation
Local reports say Israeli warplanes targeted a former Syrian army barracks in Kiswa on Wednesday. Verified footage shows explosions hitting multiple locations.
A Syrian military source confirmed that four Israeli helicopters landed at the site, deploying dozens of troops equipped with search gear. The operation lasted over two hours, but no clashes were reported between Israeli and Syrian forces.
Background: Mounting Friction
The raid follows Tuesday’s Israeli drone strike that killed six soldiers near Kiswa. Syrian officials accuse Israel of seeking to tighten its grip in the area.
Damascus condemned the strikes as a “serious violation of international law and Syrian sovereignty.”
Israel’s Military Footprint in Syria
Israel has stepped up operations in Syria over the past decade, carrying out hundreds of airstrikes against what it calls Iranian-backed targets. In addition, it has expanded its presence in the Golan Heights, moving into parts of the UN-monitored buffer zone in defiance of the 1974 disengagement agreement.
Earlier this week, Syrian officials said Israel had deployed 60 troops near Mount Hermon, close to Lebanon’s border. These operations come as the country faces unrest elsewhere, including sectarian violence in Suwayda province, where over 1,400 people were killed in July.
