IDF troops open fire on armed men approaching position in southern Syria

Soldiers identified several individuals advancing toward them and initiated a standard arrest procedure, which began with warning shots into the air in an effort to force the group to retreat.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

IDF troops operating near Khan Arnaba in southwestern Syria opened fire at a group of armed men traveling in pickup trucks that approached their position, according to Israeli media reports on Tuesday.

Soldiers identified several individuals advancing toward them and initiated a standard arrest procedure, which began with warning shots into the air in an effort to force the group to retreat.

When the men continued moving toward the forces, the troops shifted to live fire and struck two of the suspects, prompting the remaining individuals to flee the area.

Syrian outlets later reported that three civilians were hurt by what they described as the IDF’s “distancing fire,” noting that all three received medical treatment following the incident.

The episode took place amid heightened tension along the Syrian frontier, where Israeli forces have been working to prevent armed groups from approaching the border and to limit attempts by hostile organizations to use the area for infiltration or attacks.

Last month, IDF troops from the 55th Brigade killed three operatives of al-Jamaa al-Islamiya during a raid in Beit Jinn in southern Syria, an operation that also left six Israeli reservists wounded when their convoy was ambushed as it withdrew.

The group, tied to the Muslim Brotherhood and active alongside Hamas and Hezbollah since the start of the war, was responsible for repeated attacks on Israel.

Syrian media reported multiple casualties in the area, including civilians hurt by warning fire near Khan Arnaba earlier in the day.

In early December, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the wounded soldiers and said Israel is prepared to explore an arrangement with Damascus if it includes strict security guarantees, including a buffer zone preventing hostile forces from approaching the Golan Heights.