Israeli forces have expanded occupation and operations in southern Syria, carrying out repeated raids, searches, and arrests across Quneitra Governorate in recent days. Local outlet Daraa 24 reported that on the night of August 10, over 100 soldiers in approximately 20 military vehicles stormed the village of Tarangeh, searching homes and assaulting civilians. One resident was arrested and transferred to the occupied Golan Heights. This is the fourth arrest from the village in two months.
Israeli military claimed the man abducted from Tarangeh was a weapons dealer and weapons were seized in the operation. Residents, however, described the raid as the most extensive search campaign in the area since the fall of the Assad regime, saying troops entered homes without warning and used force against civilians before withdrawing.
The same day, an Israeli patrol of about 25 soldiers entered the village of Samdaniya, searched several homes, and withdrew without making arrests. Similar incursions were documented in Kudna, Rafid, Ruwayhinah, and Burayqah, some involving ID checks and roadblocks near the “ceasefire line” with the occupied Golan.
Strikes Follow Ground Operations
The heightened ground presence has been accompanied by renewed air activity. On the evening of August 8, drones targeted an internal security headquarters in the city of Salam, according to the Horan Free League (HFL). The site had previously housed local security forces. The strike followed hours of reconnaissance flights over southern Syria. There are no official details on damage or casualties.
This attack was the first reported Israeli strike in Syria since mid-July, when air raids hit multiple targets, including the General Staff building and areas near the People’s Palace in Damascus. The Syrian Ministry of Health said those strikes killed one person and injured 18. Israeli officials at the time claimed the operations were in response to “actions against Druze citizens in Syria” and were authorized by “political leadership.”
Pattern of Escalation Since December
Israeli violations in Syria are part of a broader escalation that began after the fall of the Assad, which saw Israel launch hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian military positions. Forces have also targeted civilians in border areas, including opening fire on two men from Saisoun in Daraa countryside earlier this year before detaining them.
Local accounts indicate that raids in Quneitra often result in property damage, confiscation of vehicles and equipment, and the transfer of detainees into Israeli-controlled territory. Earlier last week, Israeli forces arrested three men in the destroyed city of Quneitra and seized a tractor they were using for agricultural work.
As Israeli ground and air operations intensify, residents in affected villages describe a climate of fear and uncertainty. With limited international reaction so far, the long-term implications for communities in southern Syria remain unclear.
