Israeli shelling killed four people in southern Syria on Tuesday after Israeli forces clashed with militants who had reportedly opened fire on them, Syria’s state news agency said.
The escalation comes amid heightened tensions along the border, following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in December and the rise of an Islamist-led government in Syria. Israel has warned it will not tolerate militant activity near its border and has deployed troops into the area, though Syria’s new leadership has stated it does not seek conflict with Israel.
The Israeli military said militants in southern Syria fired at its troops, prompting Israeli forces to return fire and launch an airstrike. While Israel did not specify if its troops were inside Syrian territory at the time, it confirmed “hits were identified.”
Syrian state media reported that Israeli tank fire targeted the town of Koya in Daraa province, killing four people and injuring several others, including a woman. A Syrian security source warned that the death toll could rise.
Earlier, Israel also struck two military bases in Homs province. “A short while ago, the IDF struck military capabilities that remained at the Syrian military bases of Tadmur and T4,” the Israeli military said.
During Assad’s rule, Israel frequently targeted Iranian-linked sites and weapons transfers to Hezbollah inside Syria. Though those arms routes have been disrupted since Assad’s fall, Israel has continued to strike Syrian military positions.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, cautioned that Israel’s actions risk further destabilizing the region. Speaking at a joint press conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Giden Saar, Kallas said, “These strikes are unnecessary, as Syria is not currently attacking Israel.”
