By Taysir Mohammed
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Over the past two days, Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes on military sites of the Syrian transitional government in the Damascus countryside, killing eight military personnel from the Syrian Ministry of Defense.
One of the strikes targeted a military residence belonging to Division 44 in the al-Harjalah area of al-Kiswah. Later, another strike hit a Civil Defense team attempting to rescue the wounded, resulting in additional injuries.
Hours earlier, Rami Ghanem, a young man from the village of Taranja north of Quneitra, was shot dead near his home during a raid and arrest campaign carried out by the Israeli forces in southern Quneitra.
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on military sites in Syria, justifying them as efforts to prevent the country’s arsenal from falling into the hands of the new authorities.
Surveillance devices
The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the attacks, describing them as a “flagrant violation” of international law, and called on the international community to act to stop these violations.
Late on Wednesday evening, it announced that the Israeli strike on al-Kiswah in the Damascus countryside had killed eight military personnel.
Syrian state-run television al-Ikhbariya, citing unnamed sources, reported that during a field inspection by Syrian defense forces near Jabal al-Mana south of Damascus on Aug. 26, surveillance and listening devices were discovered. While attempting to deal with them, the site came under Israeli aerial attack, resulting in casualties and the destruction of vehicles.
The report added that Israeli airstrikes continued to prevent access to the area until late Wednesday evening.
It also stated that Syrian military units destroyed part of the equipment by targeting it with appropriate weapons. Israeli aircraft later launched multiple strikes on the site, followed by an airdrop, the details of which remain unclear amid continued intensive reconnaissance flights.
Former Iranian base
Two Syrian military sources told Reuters on Wednesday that Israel conducted an airborne landing on a former air defense base in the southwest Damascus countryside during a series of strikes on the area, but withdrew after the landing.
Iran had used the base during Assad’s rule. The strikes targeted al-Kiswah and the strategic Jabal al-Mana, two of the most important military sites used by Iranian-backed militias during the Assad era.
Another military source said the air defense base had been used by Iran during the rule of ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. The targets of the strikes – the Kiswa region and the strategic Jabal Manea hilltop – were also among the most significant military outposts used by pro-Iranian militias during the Assad era.