Israel strikes near Damascus kill six Syrian soldiers, damage bases

Israeli strikes near Damascus have killed at least six Syrian soldiers and damaged military infrastructure in a series of raids that Damascus condemned as violations of its sovereignty and a threat to regional stability. Syrian state media and monitoring groups reported that drone and airstrikes struck the al-Kiswah area south of the capital and other sites in southern regions over a 24-hour period, while Syrian officials also said a separate strike near Quneitra killed a civilian.

Syrian authorities said the main attack targeted positions in the Damascus countryside close to the town of al-Kiswah, where state broadcasters reported six members of the Syrian army were killed and several others wounded. A defence ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a drone struck a building belonging to the 44th division, killing three members of that unit. Independent monitors put the toll higher. Syrian agencies also reported that at least eight airstrikes within 24 hours destroyed former army bases and inflicted heavy damage on military infrastructure around al-Kiswah.

In addition to the strikes near Damascus, Syrian media said a drone strike near the southern town of...