The Israeli media reveals more information regarding the Israeli attack in southern Syria
On Friday, additional information about the Israeli military operation carried out in the town of Beit Jinn in southern Syria against members of the so called “Islamic Group” organization.
According to the Israel Broadcasting Corporation, the operation began at 3 am (local time) with the participation of the 55th Reserve Brigade and the 210th Division, based on recent intelligence information.
The goal was to arrest two ISIS brothers accused of planting explosive devices and participating in the launch of a long-range missile.
They were arrested while they slept without resistance, but as the troops withdrew, a military vehicle was ambushed 200 meters from the house, where gunmen opened heavy fire, wounding six reservists.
The forces responded with gunfire, announcing the elimination of a number of attackers, while the two detainees were transferred to Israel for interrogation, and the injured were evacuated by helicopter to Rambam and Sheba hospitals.
A Hummer military vehicle was also disabled during the clash, before being later targeted by the Israeli Air Force.
On the other hand, Syrian media reported that nine people were killed and others were injured as a result of Israeli raids on the town and the road leading to the Beit Jinn farm, noting that dozens of families have been displaced to safer areas.
This escalation reflects the seriousness of the situation in southern Syria, and raises questions about the future of the confrontation between the Israeli army and the armed factions in the region, amid the ongoing security tensions and growing fears of an expansion of the conflict.
On related context, the Israeli army has opened an investigation into the possible leak of classified information from the 210th Division ahead of an arrest operation in the Syrian town of Beit Jinn, which ended in a tight ambush against Israeli forces.
According to officials in the Northern Command, the operation was scheduled for last week, but was postponed due to a visit to the Strip by senior officials.
Although the forces succeeded in arresting the main suspect and his brother, before leaving the village, the force came under heavy fire in an organized ambush, raising suspicions about a security breach and a prior leak of information.
The attack resulted in the serious injury of two officers and a reservist, in addition to moderate and light injuries among other officers.
The Northern Command criticized the deployment of the forces, which were forced to leave a Hummer military vehicle inside Syrian territory before it was later targeted by the air force.
So far, it’s unclear who was responsible for the attack, but the IDF doesn’t rule out the involvement of elements of Hamas, Islamic Jihad or even Hezbollah, as part of a possible response to the assassination of military commander Ali Tabatabai this week.
Syrian media reported that Israeli helicopters bombed targets in Beit Jinn, while clashes broke out between Israeli forces and local residents.
Syrian official sources confirmed that ten people were killed, with those trapped under the rubble, in addition to the arrest of three young men and their transfer to Israel, where they belong to the “Islamic Group” organization, which is linked to the main suspect.
This development opens the door to questions about the extent of the breach of Israeli security and increases the tension on the northern front, especially as mutual accusations between Tel Aviv and Damascus continue.
