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) stated that troops went into the village, located on the edge of the occupied Golan Heights, to detain militants allegedly planning attacks against Israeli civilians.
Six Israeli soldiers were reported injured in the clashes, three of them seriously.
The IDF said the operation targeted the Jamaa Islamiya militant group. Footage released by the IDF showed two air strikes — one hitting a crowd of people and another targeting a building. In additional footage, IDF soldiers could be seen responding to automatic gunfire in the distance.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that a building collapsed during the operation, which resulted in extensive casualties.
The IDF later announced that all suspects were apprehended, and several militants were eliminated. Sana indicated that three individuals were taken into custody before troops withdrew from the area.
Sana reported that local hospitals received multiple bodies, including five from one family, and that dozens sustained injuries during the incident.
The Syrian foreign ministry accused Israel of committing a fully-fledged war crime and urged the UN Security Council to intervene. It contended that more than 10 civilians, including women and children, were among the deceased.
Israel frequently conducts operations within Syrian territory, claiming they are necessary to prevent armed groups from gaining footholds near its borders.
Since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad nearly a year ago, Israel has enhanced its military presence in the Golan Heights as anti-Israel factions operate from within southern Syria.
The demilitarized zone established after the 1973 war has faced increased tension, with both sides accused of violations of the ceasefire agreement.
Efforts by the US to broker a security agreement between Israel and Syria have so far proven unsuccessful.