Four civilians lost their lives on Tuesday in an Israeli bombardment targeting the town of Koayiah, located in the southern Syrian province of Daraa, reported the Syrian news agency SANA.
According to the same source, Israeli forces attempted to infiltrate the town under cover of air strikes and intense reconnaissance aircraft activity. These attacks resulted in several casualties, including a woman, and numerous wounded.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), a UK-based organization, reported that this offensive followed an attempted Israeli advance from the Al-Wadi area. Clashes then broke out between Israeli forces and local youths, forcing the Israeli army to retaliate.
The OSDH also reported continued fighting and shelling, accompanied by Israeli helicopter overflights and heavy vehicle movements, forcing many residents of Koayiah and neighboring localities to flee for fear of escalation.
For her part, an Israeli army spokeswoman claimed that “terrorists” had opened fire in southern Syria, prompting Israeli troops to retaliate with targeted air strikes.
This attack is part of a series of raids carried out by Israel in recent months, notably following the deployment of its troops in the UN-monitored buffer zone in Syria and their takeover of the Syrian side of Mount Hermon in the occupied Golan Heights.