Israeli artillery strike sparks fire in southern Syria

Israeli artillery fire struck agricultural land in Syria’s southern Quneitra province Thursday, sparking a fire, according to Alikhbaria TV.

The broadcaster said Israeli forces fired an artillery shell south of the village of Jabata al-Khashab and launched illumination flares over the area.

The shelling ignited a fire in the farmland, it added.

This came a day after Israeli forces raided Jabata al-Khashab and detained two people.

On Tuesday, Israeli warplanes carried out eight airstrikes on the runway of the Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase in northwestern Idlib province, damaging its infrastructure.

Israeli forces also shelled the Wadi Abdeen area in the western countryside of Daraa in southern Syria the same day.

Syria protested the attacks in letters to the UN and Security Council, saying continued Israeli strikes, incursions and abductions were obstructing stabilization efforts and threatening further regional tensions.

For months, southern Syria has witnessed recurring Israeli incursions and attacks, including raids, searches, arrests and the establishment of military checkpoints.

The activities intensified after the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in December 2024, when Israel declared the collapse of the 1974 disengagement agreement and seized control of the Syrian buffer zone.