An Israeli operation near Damascus was reported on Wednesday night following a series of airstrikes on a former Syrian army base, according to Syrian state media and monitoring groups.
Syrian outlets said the target, located near the suburb of Kiswa, had already been struck on Tuesday by Israeli warplanes, killing six Syrian soldiers. The site was bombed again on Wednesday before ground forces reportedly moved in.
The state news agency SANA said airborne elements of the Israeli army advanced to conduct an operation, though the details remain unclear. Reconnaissance flights and close-support activity were observed throughout the mission.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group, described it as the “first” Israeli operation near Damascus since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria since then, despite holding dialogue with the new authorities under US mediation.
A defence ministry source told AFP that the targeted site contained facilities of the Syrian army’s 44th division. SANA reported that Syrian soldiers had earlier discovered surveillance and audio recording equipment in the area.
SOHR said Hezbollah weapons were also present at the base. Two Reuters sources added that Israeli commandos withdrew after completing their mission.
An Israeli military spokesperson declined to comment when asked by Reuters.
A Syrian security source told state media that the operation caused multiple casualties, though no figures were released. Meanwhile, de facto Syrian president Ahmad al-Sara attended a business exhibition just 15 kilometres away from the strike site.
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