IOF strikes target Damascus countryside, kill two, wound Syrian troops
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Two people were killed and six Syrian Defense Ministry members injured in Israeli airstrikes on Al-Kiswa, near Damascus. Additional incursions were reported in Beit Jann as Israeli violations escalate.
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Illustrative photo of Syrian security forces walking in front of the Syrian Defense Ministry building, which was heavily damaged by Israeli airstrikes, in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, July 19, 2025 (AP)
Two people were killed and six others injured in Israeli airstrikes targeting the Al-Kiswa area in the Damascus countryside, near the Sweida road, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The observatory reported that the injured individuals were members of Syria’s Ministry of Defense, specifically elite forces who had previously served in the ranks of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham before joining government forces.
Explosion reported in Al-Maadamiya mountains
In a related development, an explosion was heard in the vicinity of the former Fourth Division Mountain, known as Al-Maadamiya Mountains, also in the Damascus countryside. Smoke was seen rising from the area, though the causes of the explosion remain unclear at this time.
Earlier in the day, Syrian state television reported a new incursion by the Israeli occupation forces into the Beit Jann area, also in the Damascus countryside. According to the report, “an occupation military force consisting of 11 vehicles and more than 60 elements penetrated the area.”
The broadcast added that the Israeli force took control of Tel Bat al-Warda at the foot of MountHermon.
Read more: 'Israel' to occupy Mount Hermon, pursue security deal with Syria
Syria condemns Israeli attacks on Quneitra
The Syrian Foreign Ministry earlier today strongly condemned recent Israeli attacks on its territory, following an airstrike that killed a Syrian civilian in the village of Taranja in the northern countryside of Quneitra.
The ministry stated that the aggression also comprised a ground incursion into the town of Sweida, where Israeli occupation forces conducted detention campaigns, raided homes, and fired live ammunition. Over 30 military vehicles reportedly took part in the operation.
In its statement, the Syrian Foreign Ministry emphasized that "Israel’s" continued illegal presence on the summit of Mount Hermon and in the UN-designated buffer zone is a direct violation of international agreements.
"These aggressive practices constitute a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and relevant Security Council resolutions," the statement read, describing the attacks as a threat to regional peace and security.
Read more: IOF storm Syria's Beit Jann after occupying Tel Bat al-Warda
