8 Soldiers Killed in Israeli Strikes After Surveillance Devices Found
Syrian media outlets reported Wednesday that Israeli forces carried out a two-day operation near Damascus, involving airstrikes, drones, and what they described as a rare ground landing by special troops. At least eight Syrian soldiers were reported killed.
The sequence began Tuesday evening when a Syrian patrol claimed to have uncovered listening devices in fields outside al-Kiswah, a town roughly 10 kilometers from the Damascus International Fairgrounds. Within hours, drones struck army positions in the area. Local reports said six soldiers, including a commander, were killed in that first wave, and the toll rose to eight by the next day.
According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, the strikes continued into Wednesday, cutting off reinforcements and delaying the recovery of the bodies until late the following evening. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the conflict, reported that Israeli jets conducted about ten additional raids on military sites around al-Kiswah. Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper, which is close to Hezbollah, described the bombardment as a dramatic show of force that eclipsed the international exhibition attended nearby by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
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Later that night, foreign reports said helicopters brought Israeli troops into the area near Jabal Mana, a former Iranian-operated base now controlled by Syrian forces. Officers quoted by Reuters claimed the contingent remained on the ground for more than two hours using specialized equipment, then withdrew without engaging in clashes.
After the withdrawal, Syrian units were able to collect the bodies of their soldiers and dismantle some of the devices that had been found. Damascus denounced the strikes and raid as a violation of its sovereignty and another sign of what it called Israel’s destabilizing policies.
Israel offered no official comment. Still, Defense Minister Israel Katz posted on X that “our forces operate day and night in every arena for Israel’s security,” a statement widely read as indirect confirmation of involvement.
