Israeli forces launched a raid in southern Syria on Friday that turned deadly, leaving at least 13 people dead and 24 more wounded, Syrian officials and the Israeli military said.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the operation targeted two members of a Lebanese militant group, Jama’a Islamiya, who were allegedly plotting attacks against Israel. The IDF said troops crossed into the village of Beit Jinn to capture the two suspects. Clashes broke out, the army said, and the two militants were seized and taken back to Israel. Six Israeli soldiers were also hurt in the fighting, three of them seriously, the military added.
The IDF released bodycam footage of the nighttime raid showing fast, close-quarters exchanges of gunfire as soldiers moved down a village road. The footage was presented by Israel as evidence of intense “face-to-face” combat during the operation.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry described the strike in much harsher terms, calling it a “savage and deliberate bombardment.” State-linked medical sources said civilians were among the dead, including five members of a single family, and that the attack has driven many residents from their homes into nearby areas. Syrian officials said the bombardment included strikes that hit residential zones, and that the violence has triggered large-scale displacement.
The incident marks a sharp escalation in cross-border activity in southern Syria, where Israeli forces have carried out strikes and incursions in recent months aimed at disrupting armed groups and their capabilities. Israeli officials say such operations are necessary to stop plots and prevent attacks on its territory. Syrian officials and many residents, however, see these actions as aggressive violations of sovereignty that put civilians at risk.
The raid also comes against a backdrop of tense and complicated local politics: Israel has expressed concerns about armed Islamist groups operating near its border, and it has said it will intervene to protect vulnerable communities in the area. Syrian authorities have been trying to reassert control in parts of the south after years of conflict, and foreign military actions complicate those efforts.
Both sides suggest this was not an isolated incident. The IDF described the operation as part of ongoing activity in the area over recent months. Syrian authorities said the strike will have humanitarian consequences and called for international attention to the civilian toll.
As with many fast-moving cross-border incidents, independent confirmation of every detail is limited. Officials on both sides offered differing accounts of what happened and why. The situation has raised regional tensions and renewed calls for clarity about how such operations are planned and carried out and, crucially, how civilians in the area can be better protected.
