At least 13 people have been killed in an Israeli raid on a village in southern Syria overnight, state media reported, in one of the deadliest incidents of its kind for months. It said children were among the dead.
Sana news agency said residents of Beit Jinn confronted Israeli troops, leading to a firefight. Air strikes were also carried out. Syria's foreign ministry condemned what it called a war crime by Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops went into the village, on the edge of the occupied Golan Heights, to detain militants who it said advanced terror attacks against Israeli civilians.
Six Israeli soldiers were injured in the clashes, three seriously, it said.
The IDF said it targeted the Jamaa Islamiya militant group in Friday's operation. It reported that when the raid began, several armed terrorists opened fire on its soldiers, who returned fire.
Sana reported that the village was also shelled. Footage released by the IDF shows two air strikes - one apparently on a group of people, and another on a building. In bodycam footage also released by the IDF, soldiers can be seen firing on a street in the dark, with automatic gunfire audible in the distance.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group, noted a building collapsed during the operation.
The IDF later stated all of the suspects were apprehended, and a number of terrorists were eliminated. Sana reported that three people were arrested by the troops before they withdrew.
A local hospital director quoted by Sana indicated that the hospital had received bodies, including five from one family, and dozens of injuries had occurred.
The Syrian foreign ministry asserted that more than 10 civilians had been killed, including women and children. It accused Israel of committing a fully-fledged war crime and called on the UN Security Council to act against Israel's policy of aggression.
Israel regularly conducts incursions into Syrian territories, claiming to prevent armed groups' presence. Following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad nearly a year ago, Israel has extended its forces across a buffer zone on the Golan Heights into southern Syria, where several anti-Israel groups are known to operate.
Israel insists it will not permit the Syrian army, deemed a threat, to deploy in the region. This buffer zone, previously a demilitarised area designed for peace, has seen violations from both sides, according to UN statements.
Efforts led by the U.S. to mediate a security agreement between Israel and Syria in this area have been ongoing but unsuccessful.
Sana news agency said residents of Beit Jinn confronted Israeli troops, leading to a firefight. Air strikes were also carried out. Syria's foreign ministry condemned what it called a war crime by Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops went into the village, on the edge of the occupied Golan Heights, to detain militants who it said advanced terror attacks against Israeli civilians.
Six Israeli soldiers were injured in the clashes, three seriously, it said.
The IDF said it targeted the Jamaa Islamiya militant group in Friday's operation. It reported that when the raid began, several armed terrorists opened fire on its soldiers, who returned fire.
Sana reported that the village was also shelled. Footage released by the IDF shows two air strikes - one apparently on a group of people, and another on a building. In bodycam footage also released by the IDF, soldiers can be seen firing on a street in the dark, with automatic gunfire audible in the distance.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group, noted a building collapsed during the operation.
The IDF later stated all of the suspects were apprehended, and a number of terrorists were eliminated. Sana reported that three people were arrested by the troops before they withdrew.
A local hospital director quoted by Sana indicated that the hospital had received bodies, including five from one family, and dozens of injuries had occurred.
The Syrian foreign ministry asserted that more than 10 civilians had been killed, including women and children. It accused Israel of committing a fully-fledged war crime and called on the UN Security Council to act against Israel's policy of aggression.
Israel regularly conducts incursions into Syrian territories, claiming to prevent armed groups' presence. Following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad nearly a year ago, Israel has extended its forces across a buffer zone on the Golan Heights into southern Syria, where several anti-Israel groups are known to operate.
Israel insists it will not permit the Syrian army, deemed a threat, to deploy in the region. This buffer zone, previously a demilitarised area designed for peace, has seen violations from both sides, according to UN statements.
Efforts led by the U.S. to mediate a security agreement between Israel and Syria in this area have been ongoing but unsuccessful.
