Israeli Forces Conduct Airborne Raid Near Damascus and Ground Incursions Across Southern Syria
Israeli troops executed a rare pre-dawn airdrop near Syria’s capital and multiple ground incursions near the Lebanese border, Quneitra, and Daraa—signaling a dramatic expansion of military activity across southern Syria.
Watan-Early Friday morning, Israeli forces carried out a rare airborne operation in the Yafour area, located roughly 10 km south of central Damascus, according to local sources.
Helicopters reportedly executed the airdrop around 3:00 a.m., but the purpose remains unknown. The Israeli troops remained briefly in the area before withdrawing.
Ground Incursions Across Southern Syria
In a separate but coordinated escalation, Israeli military units penetrated several locations in southern Syria:
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In Yafour, helicopters landed and briefly deployed forces.
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In Rakhlah, a village near the Lebanese border west of Syria, Israeli forces reportedly entered for the first time.
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In Daraa Province, Israeli units entered multiple sites in the Yarmouk Basin, including:
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The village of Sa’sa in western Daraa, where six Israeli vehicles were spotted, according to Syrian TV.
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A former military outpost used by Syria’s now-defunct 112th Brigade on the outskirts of Ain Dhikr village, where three Israeli vehicles conducted demolition operations.
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The “Horan Free Gathering”, a local news outlet, noted this was only the second incursion into this particular site since the fall of the Assad regime, with previous Israeli raids involving sabotage and bulldozing.
Detentions and Interrogations
On July 2, Israeli forces detained three Syrian civilians during a raid on al-Basali Farm, south of Quneitra, before reportedly releasing them hours later, as per Syrian TV.
A day earlier, on June 28, Israeli units also entered the village of Ruwayhina in southern Quneitra, searched homes, fired live bullets, and vandalized property, according to local outlet Daraa 24.
This incursion was carried out by a force including two tanks and two military vehicles.
Strategic Context
While Israel has routinely targeted Iranian and Hezbollah-linked assets in Syria via airstrikes, direct ground operations—especially airdrops and cross-border incursions—remain highly rare and symbolic.
The recent intensification suggests a broadening scope of Israel’s Syria policy, potentially aimed at preemptive strikes against Iranian entrenchment or reconnaissance missions.
Israeli officials have previously accused individuals arrested during such operations of links to Iran or Hezbollah.
