Israeli forces raid village in Syria’s Daraa

ISTANBUL

Israeli forces advanced several dozen meters into farmland in the southwestern Syrian province of Daraa on Saturday, local media reported.

An Israeli patrol crossed into agricultural land on the outskirts of the village of Maariya, opening fire and causing panic among residents, Moaffaq Mahmoud, head of the Abidin–Maariya municipal council, told the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

No injuries or damage were reported.

Mahmoud said the Israeli raid was not the first of its kind, adding that the area has seen similar “provocations” in recent weeks.

He said local residents “remain aware and resilient” and that coordination is ongoing with local authorities and monitoring committees to address any potential Israeli violations.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army or Syrian authorities on the report.

The Israeli army has repeatedly crossed into Syrian territory, carrying out airstrikes that killed civilians and destroyed military positions, vehicles, weapons, and ammunition belonging to the Syrian army.

According to government data, the Israeli army had carried out over 1,000 airstrikes on Syria and more than 400 cross-border raids into the southern provinces since December 2024.

After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024, 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.