Al Jazeera:
At least 13 people, including children, have been killed and 25 were injured 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 at least 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 Beit Jinn.
Clashes between the residents and the invading Israeli force erupted after the incursion.
Al Jazeera’s Osama bin Javaid, who recently reported from the area in Syria, said that most of the casualties from the latest Israeli raid are civilians.
“People will tell you that there are no presence of Hezbollah or any militias in the area, that they are just farmers and shepherds and they do not have anything to do with resisting Israel. And that’s why the incursion has come as a surprise to people there,” he explained.
