More than 20 People Martyred in Israeli Operation in Southern Syria

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated today, Friday, that an Israeli military operation in the southwest of the country resulted in the martyrdom of at least 20 people, marking the largest operation of its kind since the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad, according to a human rights observatory.

According to reports, clashes erupted in Beit Jinn, near a buffer zone adjacent to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, after Israeli forces entered the town early Friday morning.

Walid Akash, the mayor of Beit Jinn, told the German news agency (DPA) that "dozens of families headed towards the farms of Beit Jinn, the town of Sa'sa, and other nearby villages, while some moved to Damascus and its countryside."

He added: "The residents are living in a state of fear."

For its part, the Israeli occupation army announced that 6 of its soldiers were injured, including 3 seriously, after being shot during an arrest operation in southern Syria last night, according to what was reported by the Times of Israel on Friday.

The army explained that soldiers from the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade went out to carry out an arrest operation against members of the "Islamic Group," based on intelligence gathered over the past weeks indicating their activity in the Syrian village of Beit Jinn and their attempts to carry out attacks against Israel.