Syrian intelligence elements reportedly behind attack which wounded 6 IDF soldiers in Beit Jann last week

Following a statement by the military that six IDF soldiers were wounded during an operation in southern Syria early Friday morning, a new report claims that elements of the Syrian government were behind the attack on the Israeli forces. 

The IDF operation in the southern Syrian town of Beit Jann, which was carried out overnight between Thursday and Friday, was intended to prevent military buildup by the terrorist organization al-Jama'a al-Islamiya.

While the Jama’a al-Islamiya movement is a Sunni Muslim terror organization, they have collaborated with Hezbollah, including a recent attempt to acquire rockets from the Lebanese Shia terror group, for the purpose of launching into Israel. 

During the IDF operation, troops of the 55th Brigade, under the command of the 210th Division, entered southern Syria to apprehend three terrorists affiliated with the “Jamma Islamiya.” 

During the operation, after successfully apprehending several of the terrorists, the troops encountered armed opposition, and engaged in a face-to-face combat with forces in the area. Three soldiers were severely wounded and another three troops sustained injuries of various degrees during the resultant firefight. According to Syrian media, 13 people were killed in the confrontation. 

The IDF said that the soldiers successfully completed the activity in the Beit Jann area, with the wanted suspects being brought to Israel for interrogation. The two suspects were brothers, who had previously planted explosives aimed at Israeli forces in the buffer zone, and they were reportedly involved in the launch of a high-altitude missile at Israeli air force units, Kan News reported. 

The two brother were arrested in their beds without incident, Kan claimed. The IDF soldiers were attacked as they sought to extract the two brothers from the town, where they were met with armed resistance. Six IDF soldiers were injured in the fighting, 3 were injured seriously, and another 3 sustained moderate-to-light injuries. The wounded were evacuated to Sheba Tel Hashomer and Rambam hospitals in Haifa. 

The Syrian government condemned the IDF raid into its territory, with Syria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, calling it a “treacherous” attack. 

“We condemn in the strongest terms the treacherous Israeli aggression on the town of Beit Jann, which targeted peaceful civilians,” al-Shibani said. “The continued attacks constitute a serious threat to regional peace and security and require a firm international stance.” 

Kan also stated that Syrian forces involved in the attack on the IDF soldiers were alerted by members of the intelligence forces of interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Kan said that these same elements were involved in attempts to carry out attacks against the Druze in Khader. 

The report comes after Defense Minister Israel Katz said last week that peace with Syria is not likely at present due to the presence of regime-affiliated forces seeking to carry out attacks against Israel. 

It also came after reports that Palestinian Islamic Jihad forces were attempting to establish a military presence in Syria. 

Despite attempts by the Syrian regime to obtain financial aid and normalized relations with many Western nations, including promises of government reforms and protection for minorities, attacks against Druze, Alawite, and Christian communities in Syria have persisted in recent weeks. Many of those attacks have been carried out by militias associated with al-Sharaa’s government forces. 

According to a report in Channel 13 over the weekend, the Israeli military is considering switching from operations aimed at apprehending wanted suspects to using targeted airstrikes to eliminate developing threats, following the wounding of the six soldiers. Army Radio reported that the cell in Beit Jann included roughly 15 individuals linked to Hamas and al-Rabita al-Islamiyya, who were allegedly planning attacks against Israel. 

The military said it will continue to act against threats to Israel from Syria. 

“IDF forces are deployed in the area and will continue to act against any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens.”