“Israel” Launches Airstrikes, Helicopter Raid on Damascus Suburb

By Staff, Agencies

“Israel” conducted airstrikes and a helicopter-borne raid on the southern Damascus suburb of Kiswah on Wednesday, targeting a former Syrian army barracks, local media affiliated with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [HTS]-led administration reported.

According to a Syrian military source, four helicopters transported “Israeli” troops and search equipment to the site, where they remained for over two hours. No clashes with Syrian forces were reported during the operation.

The raid follows deadly “Israeli” drone strikes near Kiswah on Tuesday that killed six Syrian soldiers.

HTS’s foreign ministry condemned the attacks as a “grave violation of international law” and a “clear breach of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” accusing “Israel” of pursuing repeated aggressive policies aimed at undermining regional stability.

The ministry urged the UN Security Council and the international community to hold “Israel” accountable for its violations.

Since December 2024, after HTS-led militants announced the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government, “Israel” has carried out hundreds of airstrikes across Syria.

The entity has also expanded its presence in the so-called buffer zone separating the occupied Golan Heights from Syria, violating the 1974 disengagement agreement.

Observers argue that HTS’s passive stance and overtures toward normalization with “Israel” have granted the entity greater leeway to seize Syrian territory and conduct military operations with minimal repercussions.

This escalation underscores the continuing volatility in southwestern Syria, highlighting both the entrenchment of Israeli occupation and the persistent vulnerability of local and Syrian military positions amid ongoing regional conflicts.