Israeli Damascus advance breaches sovereignty, fuels tensions: Syria
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The Syrian Interior Ministry condemned the latest Israeli incursion into Beit Jann in the Damascus countryside, calling it a violation of sovereignty.
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Israeli soldiers stand on armored vehicles after crossing the security fence near the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria, in the town of Majdal Shams, December 21, 2024. (AP)
The Syrian Interior Ministry condemned the Israeli incursion into the Damascus countryside as a flagrant violation of the nation's sovereignty, calling it a deliberate provocation.
The ministry stated in an official announcement that "these Israeli practices will not lead the region to stability," warning that they will only fuel further tension and unrest.
The ministry detailed that Israeli military forces, including tanks, troop carriers, and ground units, supported by surveillance drones, advanced into the village of Beit Jin, located in Damascus' Qatana countryside, at dawn today.
The ministry added that Israeli troops conducted search-and-arrest operations, abducting seven civilians, and opened fire on villagers during the raid, killing one civilian and taking the detainees into occupied lands, with their current whereabouts still unconfirmed.
Israeli forces invade Syria's Beit Jann, detain and kill civilians
On June 12, Israeli Army Radio reported that forces from the Alexandroni Brigade carried out a nighttime invasion into the Syrian village of Beit Jann, situated about 10 kilometers from the occupied border, where they detained several Syrians accused of "involvement in terrorism."
Local sources told Al Mayadeen that the operation marked the farthest penetration by occupation forces into the southwestern Damascus countryside in recent years, as well as the first documented instance of Israeli troops entering Beit Jann’s residential areas.
Tensions escalated in the area after Israeli forces shot and killed a resident on Thursday morning, sparking calls for a mass demonstration in Beit Jann during the funeral procession as residents rallied against the killings and repeated military incursions.
Sources stated that one of the targeted individuals was killed during a clash at a local gathering, allegedly after resisting detention, while the Israeli army had earlier announced the names of 10 individuals it is looking to detain through loudspeakers before detaining seven and fatally shooting one.
