At least 13 killed as Israel launches new incursion into Syria’s Beit Jinn

DAMASCUS, Syria (MNTV) — At least 13 people, including children, were killed and 25 others injured after Israeli forces carried out a fresh ground incursion and air strikes in the Damascus countryside town of Beit Jinn on Friday, according to Syrian state media.

Syria’s state broadcaster said two children were among those killed in the early-morning raid, which also forced dozens of families to flee to nearby areas. The remains of five people — including two children — were transferred to Golan National Hospital in Quneitra, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned what it called “a criminal attack carried out by an Israeli occupation patrol,” saying the shelling that followed the failed ground advance amounted to a “war crime.”

Local sources told MNTV that Israeli artillery and missile strikes continued through the morning, while drones hovered over the area. The Syrian Civil Defence said its teams were unable to enter Beit Jinn because Israeli forces were targeting any movement.

Residents also clashed with the Israeli unit that entered the town, according to witnesses.

One resident, Iyad Daher, told AFP he was wounded by shrapnel after waking to gunfire at 3am. “We saw Israeli soldiers and tanks inside the village. Then they withdrew and the shelling began,” he said.

Israeli incursions in Quneitra province and the Damascus countryside have increased over the past year, with Syrian authorities and rights groups accusing Israel of carrying out bombings, detentions and expanding military positions along the border.