KHAN ARNABEH, SYRIA (VINnews) — The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that troops opened fire on several individuals near the entrance to the southern Syrian town of Khan Arnabeh in the Quneitra region, wounding at least two people.
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According to an IDF statement, the incident occurred after Syrian civilians began rioting in response to an Israeli military operation that included the establishment of a temporary checkpoint on a major highway near the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.
“Several suspects approached the forces and posed a threat to them,” the IDF said. Troops initially fired warning shots into the air, but when the individuals continued to advance, soldiers fired toward the legs of two “main instigators,” the military added. The crowd subsequently dispersed, and Israeli forces withdrew from the area.
Syrian media outlets reported that local residents had gathered to protest the Israeli checkpoint on the Damascus-Quneitra road. Video circulated on social media showed members of Syria’s internal security forces driving past IDF troops on the highway shortly after the confrontation.
No Israeli soldiers were injured in the incident. The IDF did not provide details on the condition of the wounded Syrians.
The episode marks a rare direct confrontation between Israeli forces and Syrian civilians since the fall of the Assad regime last week and comes amid heightened Israeli military activity in the buffer zone adjacent to the Golan Heights.