Israeli forces hit near Damascus: 14 Dead, dozens injured and Israeli troops suffer heavy casualties

Syria’s Al-Ikhbariyah TV reported that an Israeli airstrike on Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside caused multiple casualties. The airstrike came after an Israeli patrol was ambushed during its raid on the town, leading to armed confrontations with local residents.

Al-Ikhbariyah added that dozens of families from Beit Jinn fled to nearby, safer areas.

The Syrian Civil Defense, which had earlier stated that it could not enter Beit Jinn due to continued Israeli targeting of any movement at the town’s entrances, later confirmed: “We have managed to enter Beit Jinn to rescue the wounded.”

The Civil Defense had previously stated that Israel was preventing rescue teams from entering the town and that Israeli forces were targeting any movement at the outskirts of Beit Jinn.

Syrian media wrote that residents clashed at dawn with an Israeli unit that had infiltrated the town. Intense confrontations took place with Israeli soldiers, resulting in casualties among their ranks. This prompted the Israeli Air Force to intervene by bombing the town, leaving several dead and wounded.

Local news outlets reported that clashes erupted between Syrian youths and occupation forces in Beit Jinn, and that three residents of the town, located west of Damascus, were killed by Israeli shelling.

Sources told Al Jazeera that the death toll from the Israeli military operation in Beit Jinn has risen to 14, with 25 injured.

SANA also reported that the bodies of six martyrs from Beit Jinn—five of whom belonged to a single family—have been transferred to Al-Muwasat Hospital in Damascus.

Al-Ikhbariyah further reported that some wounded victims are still trapped under rubble following the Israeli attack.

According to the network, Israeli drones continue to fly over the road connecting Beit Jinn village with Beit Jinn Farm.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation also reported that the goal of the army's operation in Beit Jinn was to arrest two brothers who had previously planted explosives and participated in rocket launches.

Hebrew media, citing sources, stated that the Israeli army withdrew from Beit Jinn after this morning’s raid.

Israel’s official broadcasting agency reported that the occupation army used artillery and drones during the clashes, and pulled back to the outskirts of the town after nearly two hours.

While Hebrew media initially stated that two Israeli soldiers had been wounded during the clashes in Beit Jinn, the occupation army later admitted that six soldiers were injured, three of them in critical condition, and two of them officers.

Hebrew media further reported that 13 Israeli soldiers were wounded after being targeted from close range during the clash, with three in critical condition.

Reports indicate that Israeli soldiers fled the town after the gunfight and abandoned a Humvee, which the Israeli Air Force later had to destroy.

They additionally revealed that the Air Force, which was quickly dispatched to the scene, was unable to carry out direct strikes due to the proximity between Israeli soldiers and local fighters during the clashes.