Israeli drone strikes near Damascus have killed six Syrian soldiers, according to Syria’s government, in what appears to be one of the deadliest incidents in a growing wave of attacks this week.
Syria’s foreign ministry called Tuesday’s strike a “flagrant violation” of international law and an assault on its sovereignty.
On Wednesday, the strikes continued. Reports from both Syrian state media and international outlets suggest Israeli forces went further, conducting a rare airborne landing at a former military site outside the capital. The details remain unclear. Some accounts say soldiers searched the area for more than two hours before leaving.
Israel’s military refused to comment directly. Defence Minister Israel Katz, however, wrote on X that Israeli forces were operating “in all combat zones day and night for the security of Israel.”
A Pattern of Strikes
Israel has intensified its military operations inside Syria since December, when the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad paved the way for an Islamist-led interim government backed by former rebel groups. Israel has argued that its actions are aimed at preventing weapons from reaching extremist organisations.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, Israel has carried out 95 attacks in Syria this year alone—85 from the air and 10 on the ground.
The strike on Tuesday reportedly occurred as Syrian troops investigated “surveillance and eavesdropping devices” near al-Kiswah, state-run SANA news agency said. A day later, air raids struck about six miles from the Damascus International Fair, where interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa was attending an official event.
Limited Clarity on the Ground
Eyewitness details about the landing remain sparse. SANA reported that Israeli aircraft launched “several raids” followed by an airdrop. A Syrian source told Al Jazeera the operation involved dozens of Israeli soldiers equipped with search gear. Reuters cited army officials saying the troops withdrew after completing their mission.
The flurry of strikes comes just as Israeli and Syrian officials were engaged in talks meant to reduce the risk of direct clashes.
A History of Tension
This latest round follows July’s air strikes by Israel in Suweida, a southern city home to a large Druze population. Israel said at the time it was targeting Syrian government forces and weapons it believed were meant to be used against the Druze community. Damascus condemned the attacks, which it said killed both soldiers and civilians.
The Druze, who follow a faith rooted in Shia Islam but with its own unique identity, live both in Syria and Israel, making them a sensitive factor in the conflict.
For now, the skies over Damascus remain tense. And with both governments trading accusations, there is little sign the cycle of strikes and reprisals will ease soon.
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