An Israeli drone dropped two stun grenades on the road linking Abidin and Maariya in the Yarmouk Basin area of western rural Daraa (southern Syria) on Saturday, July 18.

Enab Baladi’s correspondent reported that the strike occurred near the al-Arida neighborhood. It caused no casualties or material damage, despite the presence of several vehicles on the road at the time.

The correspondent said the strike followed the renewed closure of the road by young men from the neighborhood. An Israeli patrol consisting of three vehicles and a tracked bulldozer had reopened the road during an incursion into the area on Friday, July 17.

Israeli forces had entered Maariya amid heavy gunfire intended to intimidate residents, without causing any injuries.

Israeli army vehicles removed stone barriers to reopen roads that villagers had previously blocked as part of residents’ attempts to confront repeated incursions and prevent Israeli vehicles from entering their village.

Operations in Abidin

The Israeli army had previously intensified its operations in rural Daraa. On June 28, it targeted Abidin and the surrounding area with artillery shells and heavy machine gun fire from a helicopter, while Israeli warplanes and helicopters flew over Daraa and Quneitra governorates.

The Syrian Arab News Agency, SANA, reported at the time that the shelling of Abidin damaged agricultural land and areas surrounding the village, without causing casualties. Fear generated by the attack prompted several residents to leave for neighboring towns and villages.

The Israeli strikes were preceded by the incursion of a four-vehicle military patrol into the village, which is located in the Yarmouk Basin in western rural Daraa, near the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Daraa reported at the time that patrol members opened fire indiscriminately and established military checkpoints in the area, prompting residents to gather.

According to the correspondent, the operation was the first overt daytime incursion carried out by Israeli forces in the area, after their previous operations had been limited to nighttime incursions.

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the Israeli incursions into Daraa and Quneitra governorates, along with the artillery shelling that struck the two areas, describing the operations as a “blatant violation” of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Villages and towns in rural Daraa and Quneitra continue to face Israeli army incursions, sometimes accompanied by arrest operations and the intimidation of residents. On some occasions, these operations have resulted in civilian casualties.

The Syrian government has avoided a military response, limiting its actions to condemnation and diplomatic measures while calling for a return to the boundaries established under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

The series of Israeli incursions began in the first hours after the fall of the former Syrian regime on December 8, 2024. Israel claims that the operations are intended to protect its national security.