13 Syrian Killed in Israeli Attack on Rural Damascus

Thirteen Syrians were killed and 25 others were injured in an Israeli shelling of the town of Beit Jinn in rural Damascus today (Friday), coinciding with the incursion of an Israeli military patrol into the town, according to Syrian television.

The television reported that helicopters belonging to the Israeli army and its artillery shelled Beit Jinn, located on the slopes of Mount Hermon, southwest of Damascus, resulting in 13 deaths and 25 civilian injuries. It noted that the shelling came after clashes between locals and an Israeli army patrol that had entered Beit Jinn and arrested three young men, before withdrawing and positioning itself on the Al-Bat Al-Warda hill on the outskirts of the town.

The television stated that Beit Jinn is witnessing a movement of displacement among residents towards neighboring villages due to the Israeli aggression, according to Syrian television.

The Syrian news agency "SANA" quoted the Director of Health for Rural Damascus, Dr. Tawfiq Ismail, as saying that there are difficulties in reaching the bodies that were buried in the same area due to the Israeli attack in the early hours. He indicated that some of the injured are in critical condition.

He pointed out that the Rural Damascus ambulance system, in cooperation with the Syrian Civil Defense, provided first aid to cases that do not require transfer to hospitals.

He noted that the Haramon center point and the Sa'sa point were activated, and coordination was made with the Golan National Hospital to ensure the necessary medical care for the injured as quickly as possible due to the aggression.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Civil Defense stated that its teams, which include ambulance and rescue teams, are still working in the Beit Jinn farm and have not been able to enter the town of Beit Jinn in southwestern rural Damascus to assist the injured and secure the area and conduct surveys for fear of dangerous war remnants affecting the residents.

In contrast, the Israeli occupation army stated that the forces of the 55th Reserve Brigade under the command of the 210th Division carried out an operation last night in the village of Beit Jinn in southern Syria, claiming that the operation aimed to arrest individuals wanted for having plans against Israel.

The occupation army acknowledged that six Israeli soldiers were injured, with injuries ranging from severe to moderate and minor, and they were transferred to the hospital for treatment, indicating that the operation ended with the arrest of the Syrians wanted by the occupation.