TEHRAN – Thirteen Israeli troops have been wounded in Syria as locals resist another invasion, Hebrew media reported.
The occupation regime’s latest incursion took place in southern Syria, in the town of Beit Zin in the countryside west of Damascus, after occupation forces entered the area, leaving 38 Syrian civilians dead and injured and several residents arrested.
According to reports, several soldiers fled the town after clashes with residents opened fire on advancing infantry. During the retreat, the soldiers left behind a military Humvee, and Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes to destroy the vehicle and prevent its capture.
Local Syrian residents are believed to have fired on regime soldiers at close range, and three of the 13 wounded soldiers are said to be in critical condition.
The occupation regime’s air forces reportedly rushed to the scene, but were unable to carry out an immediate attack because the occupation forces and armed locals were too close to each other during the engagement.
Earlier, Syrian intelligence sources confirmed that 13 civilians were killed and 25 injured in Israeli air strikes and invasion of Beit Zin. At least two children were among the dead, and several civilians remained trapped under the rubble.
Israeli occupation forces are believed to have retreated to the outskirts of Beit Zin, 10 kilometers from the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
In Beitjin, the entire town mourned the dead and a funeral procession was held. Syrian intelligence sources reported heavy Israeli drone activity over Beit Zin and parts of the western Damascus countryside.
The Syrian side also said that occupation regime forces had entered and patrolled a village in the Quneitra countryside and informed residents that excavation and fortification work would soon begin on the west side of the village. Israeli fighter jets were also seen flying over Quneitra province.
Recent developments highlight Israel’s growing pattern of occupying more Syrian territory and steadily undermining its security.
Apart from expanding illegal occupations, the regime aims to take control of strategic locations such as Syria’s main water resources, which serve as a lifeline for local communities, and areas it deems too valuable to abandon. This stance suggests the possibility of further instability in the future.