IOF storm Syria's Beit Jann after occupying Tel Bat al-Warda
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Israeli forces captured Tel Bat al-Warda on Mount Hermon and advanced into Beit Jann in the Damascus countryside signaling escalating incursions from the occupied Golan Heights.
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An Israeli soldier stands guard at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams, on July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Monday occupied Tel Bat al-Warda on the slopes of Mount Hermon, followed by an incursion into the town of Beit Jann in the Damascus countryside, where an exchange of gunfire took place without reports of casualties.
According to Syria TV, an occupation force consisting of 11 military vehicles and more than 60 personnel penetrated the Beit Jann area, confirming that the forces had earlier occupied Tel Bat al-Warda. This follows a series of recent violations by Israeli forces inside Syrian territory.
Days earlier, they stormed the town of Abdeen in the Yarmouk Basin area in the western Daraa countryside with six military vehicles, advancing from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Earlier this month, Israeli occupation forces conducted several incursions across the Quneitra countryside on August 12, Syrian state news agency Al-Ikhbariya reported.
In the northern countryside, a patrol entered the town of Tarangeh, pausing briefly in the town square before proceeding toward the nearby town of Hadar. Separately, Syrian media said an Israeli unit comprising seven military vehicles carried out a raid in the town of Kodneh in southern Quneitra.
In another move, a military convoy from the Israeli base at the eastern al-Ahmar hill advanced toward the outskirts of the village of al-Asbah in southern Quneitra, raising concern among residents.
Expansion of IOF presence in southern Syria
The Quneitra raid reflects a broader campaign to cement Israeli control over southern Syria. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024, Israeli forces have occupied nearly 500–600 square kilometers of territory, including approximately 95% of Quneitra Governorate.
The occupation stretches from Mount Hermon through Quneitra to Daraa, with 10 permanent military bases established, six of them in the last three months. Strategic locations include Jubata al-Khashab, Qurs al-Nafal, al-Qahtaniyah, the eastern al-Ahmar hill, and Tulul al-Humr, the latter only 40 kilometers from Damascus.
Control over key water resources such as the Sheikh Hussein and Sahm Golan dams, the Yarmouk riverbed, and al-Wahda Dam has further consolidated the occupation’s grip on the region.
"Israel" launched "Operation Arrow of Bashan" immediately after al-Assad’s fall. Within eight days, Israeli forces conducted over 600 airstrikes, targeting airfields, missile sites, tanks, and Syria’s remaining air defense systems. This campaign destroyed between 70–80% of Syria’s strategic military capabilities, including its air force and naval fleet.
