ISTANBUL

Israeli forces briefly detained two shepherds in Syria’s southern Quneitra province on Thursday.

The SANA news agency reported that Israeli troops arrested a young man west of Ruwayhina village and another youth west of Kodna village while they were tending sheep. Both were later released.

Israeli forces entered the western outskirts of Ruwayhina and took the shepherd to an undisclosed location before releasing him hours later, the agency said.

Israeli forces also fired two artillery shells toward the village’s surroundings, with no immediate reports of casualties or material damage, it added.

In a separate incident, Israeli forces detained a teenager while he was herding sheep west of Kodna village and released him after several hours, SANA said.

Earlier, the state-run Alikhbariah TV reported that Israeli troops arrested a child west of Kodna villag before he was released hours later.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military regarding the reported detention.

Damascus has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to the 1974 disengagement agreement between the two sides. Tel Aviv announced unilaterally that it was canceling the agreement after the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime on Dec. 8, 2024.

Recent Israeli actions have included ground incursions, artillery shelling—particularly in the countryside of Quneitra and Daraa in southern Syria—arrests of civilians, the establishment of checkpoints to search and question residents, and the destruction of crops.

The Israeli incursions come despite the announcement on Jan. 6 of the formation of a contact mechanism between Syria and Israel, under US supervision, to coordinate information exchange, reduce military escalation, promote diplomatic engagement, and explore trade opportunities.

Syrians say the continued Israeli actions limit their ability to restore stability and hinder government efforts to attract investment to improve economic conditions.