Six Israeli army reservists wounded in southern Syria during arrest of Jamaa Islamiya terrorists

Six Israeli soldiers were wounded overnight during a raid to arrest two terrorists in the southern Syrian village of Beit Jinn, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Friday morning.

“As a result of the incident, two reserve officers and a reservist were severely injured, a reservist was moderately injured, and a reserve officer and a reservist were lightly injured. The soldiers were evacuated to the hospital to receive medical treatment, and their families have been notified.”

While Israel has conducted numerous counter-terror raids inside and outside the buffer zone in southern Syria in the past months, the incident marks the first time the IDF suffered significant casualties.

“The suspects … advanced terror attacks against Israeli civilians. During the activity, several armed terrorists opened fire at the troops, who responded with fire toward the terrorists, along with aerial assistance to the troops,” the military stated.

The IDF publishes footage showing its airstrikes against gunmen in the southern Syrian village of Beit Jinn, after troops came under fire during an arrest operation.

According to Syrian media, at least ten people were killed by the Israeli strikes. The military says that it… pic.twitter.com/9GnWNqWOGG

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Thirteen people were reportedly killed during the operation, which the Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned as a "war crime."

“Syria denounces… the criminal aggression” of the Israeli army, the ministry stated, adding it could “ignite the region” in conflict.

The soldiers of the IDF 55th Reserve Brigade entered the village around 3 a.m. to arrest two wanted suspects of Jamaa Islamiya, an Islamist organization that is the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and has close ties to Hamas.

According to Army Radio, the group is headquartered in Lebanon and actively participated in the fighting against Israel in Lebanon last year.

Beit Jinn is located around 7 km (almost 4.5 miles) from the Israeli border, across from the town of Majdal Shams and on the foothills of Mount Hermon. Israeli forces have reportedly raided the village several times over the past year.

The two wanted suspects, who are brothers, carried out previous terror attacks against Israel, including rocket launches and the planting of explosives. Israeli forces arrested them in their home as they slept, without any incident.

However, when the forces exited the home, it ran into an ambush as terrorists opened fire from a nearby roof at one of the IDF's Humvees, wounding several soldiers.

According to Army Radio, the IDF initially held off sending in air support out of concern that they might strike the Israeli soldiers who were engaged in close-quarter combat.

The soldiers eventually abandoned the Humvee, which was later struck from the air to render it unusable, and retreated before being evacuated by helicopters. With the soldiers no longer at the location, attack helicopters, UAVs, and fighter jets struck pre-designated targets and killed several terrorists.

According to Syrian television reports, at least 13 people were killed in the incident. Media outlets circulated a picture of one of the deceased men holding a weapon with a marking that resembled the Jamaa Islamiya’s emblem.

The last IDF raid in Beit Jinn was conducted in June and was carried out without incident, as Israeli troops arrested a Hamas cell.

“When you enter this village, you know you must be prepared in advance for various terror scenarios. We prepared for this operation for a month; there is a significant terror infrastructure in the village,” security officials told Army Radio.

Uri Kellner, head of the Golan Regional Council, wished the injured soldiers a speedy recovery and thanked the troops for their work.

“We strengthen and commend the IDF soldiers who continue to stand on the front lines and protect the residents of the Golan and the entire State of Israel with their bodies,” said Kellner.

“The overnight operation illustrates the importance of defense from within a buffer zone to keep the enemy away from the border, and the need for continued deployment of forces in the area,” he added.

“A continuous military presence in the buffer zone and the Mount Hermon area is key to protecting the Golan's communities and maintaining stability and security along the border.”