- SANA reported that Israeli troops “entered the town of Jabata al-Khashab” at dawn, raided houses and “detained seven people.”
- The detainees were taken to Israel for further questioning, the military said.
DAMASCUS: Israeli forces captured seven people in an incursion into Syria on Wednesday, Syrian state media reported, and the Israeli military said it had “detained” individuals “suspected of terrorist activity.”
Since the fall of Syria’s longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel has launched hundreds of strikes into Syria and occupied much of the UN-patrolled demilitarized zone on the formerly Syrian-controlled side of the armistice line between the two countries, which have technically been at war since 1948.
Negotiations with the interim authorities in Damascus have also begun.
The official Syrian news agency SANA reported that Israeli troops “entered the town of Jabata al-Khashab” in the southern province of Quneitra at dawn, raided houses and “detained seven people.”
The force – about 30 soldiers in five vehicles – crossed the border into a nearby base at 3:00 a.m. (00:00 GMT) and withdrew two hours after the raids.
SANA also reported Israeli shelling of Quneitra.
Asked to comment by AFP’s Jerusalem bureau, the Israeli army said its troops “detained several people suspected of terrorist activity against troops in the Jubata area in southern Syria.”
The detainees were taken to Israel for further questioning, the military added.
Since Assad’s ouster in December, Israel has carried out repeated cross-border operations, including strikes and ground raids on Syrian territory.
Last month, SANA reported an Israeli air raid on a site near Damascus following several airstrikes.
Israel has not confirmed the operation, but Defense Minister Israel Katz said its forces were operating “in all combat zones” to ensure security.