Israeli operation in southern Syria leaves at least 13 dead

An Israeli operation in the southern Syrian village of Beit Jin left at least 13 people dead, witnesses and Syrian media reports said on Friday.

What do we know about the Israeli raid in Syria?

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it detained suspected members of the Jamaa Islamiya group who were planning attacks against Israel.

Jamaa Islamiya is a Sunni Islamist political party and anti-Zionist organization based in neighboring Lebanon. Jamaa Islamiya has an armed wing called the al-Fajr Forces.

Israel said six of its soldiers were injured in the early morning raid, with three of them in serious condition.

Syrian state television reported that families fled the area where the IDF raid took place. Israeli forces reportedly took three men into custody.

Syrian local official Abdul Rahman al-Hamrawi told the AFP news agency that after the clashes, Israel "shelled the area with artillery and drones."

Syria says Israel carried out 'war crime'

The Syrian Foreign Ministry denounced what it called Israel's "criminal aggression" in Beit Jin, adding that Israel's actions seek to "ignite the region in conflict."

"This is a war crime," the Foreign Ministry said.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, told the German news agency dpa that the Israeli operation was the largest in Syria since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad last year.

The Assad family had ruled Syria for decades. A group of rebels led by Ahmad al-Sharaa ousted Assad, with al-Sharaa now serving as Syria's transitional president.    

During the political transition in Syria in December, Israel said it expanded a buffer zone with its neighbor to ensure Israelis' security.

Al-Sharaa has urged Israel to stop its incursion into Syrian territory. He has also said he does not want direct conflict with Israel and would prefer Syria focus on rebuilding after more than a decade of civil war.

Although Syria and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations, the two have recently been in talks over a potential security agreement to deescalate.