Dozens of Israeli military vehicles push deep into south Syria in ‘biggest incursion yet’

Israeli troops destroyed military infrastructure belonging to the former Syrian army following several air raids on the country  

News Desk - The Cradle  

Israeli forces carried out a massive incursion in southern Syria on 18 March, described as the biggest of its kind since Tel Aviv expanded its occupation across the country’s south following the collapse of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government. 

Approximately 50 vehicles – including armored and reconnaissance units – entered the village of Al-Adnaniyah in the Quneitra countryside on Tuesday evening. 

“Israeli military vehicles have been sweeping through the fields in Al-Adnaniyah village for hours, and residents fear a repeat scenario of forced displacement,” resident and activist Saeed al-Mohammad told the Al-Araby al-Jadeed outlet on 19 March. “This incursion isn't random; Israel aims to displace residents by creating a hostile military environment, which is part of a systematic policy of demographic cleansing,” he added. 

Israeli occupation forces then advanced into the buffer zone between the towns of Al-Asha and Al-Rafid, deploying over 30 military vehicles, including tanks, bulldozers, and armored personnel carriers.

It was the “largest since the beginning of the Israeli occupation of the area,” according to Al-Araby al-Jadeed.

The incursion extended to the Al-Jamous Company area, accompanied by intense Israeli reconnaissance flights, local sources told the Qatari outlet.

During this operation, Israeli forces reportedly razed military sites belonging to the former Syrian army, notably the Abu Darwish Company near Al-Nasiriya in the Quneitra countryside. ​

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the Israeli army also seized control of the Al-Hiran military point. 

This incursion was preceded by several Israeli airstrikes on Syria over the past two days. Former Syrian army sites in Homs were bombarded by Israeli jets on Tuesday. 

Israeli warplanes also targeted Al-Kiswah in the Damascus countryside with multiple airstrikes, as well as the city of Izraa in the Deraa governorate.

Israeli occupation forces swept across southern Syria after the ousting of Assad in December, moving past the demilitarized zone and expanding their decades-long illegal occupation in the country.

Tel Aviv has since continued to expand its occupation in Syria and has begun building permanent military sites in the southern region of the country. Israel has said its occupation in Syria will be indefinite.

Since the former government collapsed, hundreds of Israeli airstrikes have targeted military infrastructure belonging to the Syrian Arab Army (SAA).