The Israeli army announced the execution of a ground incursion into Daraa province, coinciding with airstrikes, which resulted in the deaths of civilians.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee stated today, Thursday, April 3, that in the past hours, Israeli forces have infiltrated within the Golan Brigade 474 in the Tasil area in the Daraa countryside, where they confiscated weapons and destroyed infrastructure.

Adraee added that during the Israeli incursion, “a number of militants opened fire at the Israeli forces operating in the area,” leading the latter to target them and eliminate several armed terrorists with ground and air strikes, according to him.

Adraee pointed out that the Israeli forces completed their mission without sustaining any casualties among their ranks, considering that the presence of weaponry in southern Syria poses a threat to Israel.

Enab Baladi‘s correspondent in Daraa reported that Israeli forces infiltrated the forest of the Jbeiliya Dam, then bombarded the area with dozens of shells, while some civilians from the city of Nawa and nearby villages confronted this incursion.

The correspondent quoted medical sources stating that ten civilians were killed and others wounded, some critically, due to Israeli shelling in the area between Nawa city and Tasil town.

For its part, the Daraa governorate stated that nine civilians were killed and others injured as an initial toll due to Israeli army shelling on the Jbeiliya Dam forest west of Daraa, amid significant popular mobilization and anger following this massacre, especially as Israeli forces advanced into this depth for the first time.

The governorate added that the Israeli army infiltrated with several military vehicles into the Jbeiliya Dam forest west of Daraa, coinciding with reconnaissance aircraft flying over the area, indicating that Israeli forces targeted the foothill of Tel al-Jumou near Nawa city with three artillery shells.

Enab Baladi‘s correspondent stated that this is the first time Israeli forces have invaded Daraa province following the events in the village of Koya on March 25 last.

Tensions began at that time after the Israeli army attempted to infiltrate the village of Koya, prompting young men to open fire, to which Israel responded by bombarding Koya, resulting in casualties and injuries and causing the displacement of residents, according to Enab Baladi‘s correspondent.

Residents of Koya buried six killed as a result of Israeli tanks targeting civilian homes after young men resisted the Israeli army’s incursion into the village.

Israeli forces also arrested farmers in the Koya Valley for several hours on March 28 and 29, before releasing them later.

The Israeli incursion into the Daraa countryside coincided with Israeli airstrikes that targeted several military sites in Hama, Homs, and Damascus.

Almost daily, Israel has been conducting airstrikes on Syria for months, leading to civilian casualties and the destruction of military sites, vehicles, and munitions of the Syrian army.