DAMASCUS

Israeli warplanes killed two civilians and wounded 19 others in airstrikes on the southern Syrian city of Daraa late Monday, according to Syria’s official SANA news agency.

“Israeli occupation aircraft launched airstrikes targeting the vicinity of Daraa,” the agency said on X.

A follow-up statement confirmed the casualties, adding that “two civilians were martyred and 19 others injured with varying degrees of wounds” from the raids.

The Daraa Governorate, in a post on its Telegram channel, said the Israeli strikes targeted “housing in the city of Izra and Regiment 175 with several hits.”

Israel’s military claimed in a statement that it is “currently striking military targets in southern Syria, including command centers and military sites containing weapons and military vehicles belonging to the old Syrian Regime, which they are attempting to make reusable.”

The army alleged that the presence of military assets in southern Syria “poses a threat to the State of Israel. The IDF (army) will not allow the presence of military threats in southern Syria and will operate against it.”

Israeli daily Israel Hayom reported the assault targeted three bases near Daraa, likely tied to the Assad army, though it offered no further details.

As of 1930GMT, no official Syrian response had emerged.

After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria.

Israel also launched hundreds of airstrikes that targeted military sites and assets across Syria, including fighter jets, missile systems and air defense installations, according to reports.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in late January.