Syria: Israel Responds with Airstrikes to Gunfire

Thursday, 3 April 2025 | Syrian state media reported Thursday morning that 10 people were killed overnight in the al-Jabaliya area of Daraa province during what it described as unusually intense clashes between Israeli forces and local armed men.

The confrontation involved Israeli artillery shelling and airstrikes. According to reports, calls from local mosques urged residents to confront Israeli forces as air raids were carried out at several sites across Syria.

The IDF confirmed that its 474th Brigade operated overnight in the Tasil area of southern Syria, seizing weapons and destroying terrorist infrastructure. During the operation, armed men opened fire on Israeli troops, who responded with ground fire and air support, killing several gunmen.

The IDF reported no casualties among its forces and stated that weapons stockpiles in southern Syria pose a direct threat to Israel’s security. “The IDF will not allow the presence of a military threat in Syria and will act against it,” the military said.

In a related development, Lebanon’s Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen network reported that Israeli forces struck prefabricated structures overnight in Naqoura in southern Lebanon.

This latest escalation follows a string of Israeli operations across Syria. On Wednesday night, Israeli warplanes targeted Damascus International Airport, the T4 airbase near Homs and the military airfield in Hama, where massive explosions were reported. Syrian defense sources claimed at least 15 personnel were killed in the Hama strike. The targets reportedly included infrastructure and strategic weapons left behind by the Assad regime.

A previous cross-border incident occurred about a week ago, when Israeli aircraft struck a group of gunmen who had opened fire on Golani Brigade reconnaissance soldiers near the Yarmouk Valley in southern Syria, just 300 yards [274 meters] from the Israeli-held Golan Heights. According to Syrian reports, four gunmen were killed. Northern Command officials described the event as a “turning point” in the volatile sector.

Since the fall of the Assad regime last December, the IDF has entered parts of the demilitarized buffer zone in Syria and taken control of the Syrian side of Mount Hermon. Israeli airstrikes have become increasingly frequent as Defense Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continue to call for a full demilitarization of the region south of Damascus.