Syria: Israel's 'savage' attack in Beit Jinn village kills 13, wounds 24

An Israeli attack in Syria, killing 13 people and injuring 24 others, became the biggest assault by a foreign power on Syrian land since the end of former dictator Bashar al-Assad last year.

Israeli forces on Friday invaded the Beit Jinn village in southern Syria to capture two members of Jama’a Islamiya, a terrorist group based in Lebanon, saying that they were planning future attacks on Israel.

The situation escalated into a deadly confrontation after clashes erupted, according to an Israeli military statement. Six Israeli soldiers were wounded, three of them seriously, and the two terrorists were captured and taken back into Israel.

What happened?

An AFP journalist saw several wounded people being taken to a hospital in Damascus, around 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the village.

“We were asleep when we were woken up at three in the morning by gunfire,” wounded resident Iyad Taher told AFP at al-Mouwassat hospital in the Syrian capital.

“We went outside to see what was happening and saw the Israeli army in the village, soldiers and tanks. Then they withdrew, the air force came, and the shells started falling. I was hit by shrapnel in the neck.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has released bodycam footage of the raid that showed a so-called “face-to-face” combat with terrorists during the encounter.

Syria has said that the attack has triggered  “large-scale displacement” as residents started fleeing the Israeli bombardment.

‘Savage’

Syria’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the attacks, saying Israel launched a “savage and deliberate bombardment”, killing women and children after residents of the village tried to thwart the Israeli soldiers.

In Damascus and other major Syrian cities, demonstrators marking one year since the Islamist-led offensive that toppled Assad denounced Israel’s attacks.

Banners in Damascus read “Beit Jin makes us proud” and “stop Israeli attacks”.

United Nations Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Najat Rochdi condemned Israel’s attack, calling it “a grave and unacceptable violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

With inputs from agencies