13 Killed in Israeli Attacks in Syria

Israeli forces launched attacks in several areas of the Syrian capital Damascus early Friday. At least 13 civilians, including two children, were killed in the latest Israeli raids and ground operations. Another 25 people were injured, while several Israeli soldiers were also reported wounded during clashes.

The information was reported on Friday (28 November) by Al Jazeera and other international media outlets. Syria’s state media said many families fled to safer areas as Israeli strikes and ground operations targeted the town of Beit Jinn at dawn.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the bodies of at least five people — including two children — were taken to the Golan National Hospital in the city of Quneitra’s Al-Salam area. The report added that Israeli drones were still seen flying over the region.

The Syrian Civil Defense said they were unable to enter Beit Jinn to rescue the injured, as Israeli forces were striking at any movement. Since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israeli operations in southern Syria have become increasingly frequent and violent amid expanding occupation. Local sources confirmed to Al Jazeera that Israeli artillery and missile strikes in Beit Jinn killed several people and injured many others. Clashes also erupted between Israeli forces and local residents after troops entered the town.

Al Jazeera correspondent Osama bin Javaid, who recently reported from the area, said most of the victims in the latest attack were civilians. “People there insist that no Hezbollah or armed groups are present. They say they are simply farmers and herders, not involved in resistance against Israel. The attack came as a shock to them,” he reported.

The Israeli military wrote on social media that six of its soldiers were injured in the operation, three of them critically. It claimed the operation had been completed and that all suspects were either arrested or “neutralised.” However, troops would remain in the area and continue operations against “any threat to Israel,” the statement added.

Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that an Israeli unit entering Beit Jinn was surrounded, prompting extensive air and ground operations to extract them. Numerous Syrians were killed and injured during the operation.