Israel claims raid on former Syrian military site

JERUSALEM

The Israeli army claimed on Saturday that it had raided a former military site in southern Syria earlier this week, seizing tanks, armored personnel carriers, and rocket-propelled grenades.

The aggression aimed at “eliminating perceived threats from Syrian territory,” particularly near the occupied Golan Heights, army spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed.

The spokesperson added that Israeli forces had raided a command center belonging to a unit of the now-defunct Syrian regime. Inside the facility, they reportedly found out-of-service tanks, armored personnel carriers, and artillery pieces, which were subsequently destroyed.

Additional weaponry, including mortar shells and dozens of rockets, was also discovered and confiscated, according to the statement.

This aggression follows a separate Israeli strike on Thursday targeting the town of Tseel in southern Syria.

The Israeli army claimed it had destroyed "enemy infrastructure" and seized additional weapons during that raid.

It also alleged that its forces came under fire from armed men in Tseel and responded with ground and aerial attacks, killing several individuals.

Although the newly formed Syrian administration under President Ahmed al-Sharaa has not issued any threats toward Israel, Tel Aviv has maintained a near-daily campaign of airstrikes across Syria in recent months. These attacks have resulted in civilian casualties and the destruction of Syrian military assets and infrastructure.

After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated a 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria.

Since the fall of the regime, Israel has launched hundreds of strikes that targeted military sites and assets across Syria, including fighter jets, missile systems, and air defense installations, according to reports.