Syria "condemns in the strongest terms" Israel's drone strike on "a civilian vehicle on the Mazraat Beit Jinn - Beit Jinn road in the western part of Rif Dimashq [province], which resulted in a number of civilian casualties," Damascus’ foreign ministry said in a statement.
"This attack constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic and a blatant breach of international law," the ministry said, censuring what it called "repeated Israeli aggressions against Syrian territory."
Damascus held Tel Aviv "fully responsible for the consequences" of the attacks, warning that their continuation "will further escalate tensions and instability in the region and endanger the security and safety of civilians."
It further urged the international community and the UN Security Council "to assume their legal and political responsibilities, work to halt these attacks, and put an end to Israel's repeated violations of Syrian sovereignty.”
The incident comes days after Syria on Tuesday deplored “Israeli airstrikes targeting Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase in Idlib province," Damascus foreign ministry said in a previous statement, calling the strikes an "unjustified act of aggression.”
The statement said "the continuation of these Israeli attacks" since the late December 2024 ouster of longtime Syrian president Bashar al-Assad aims to "undermine" Syria's efforts to "consolidate stability and avoid escalation," accusing Israel of attempting to "drag the region towards further tension and instability."
Earlier on Tuesday, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which relies on a network of sources inside Syria, reported that the strikes came amid "ongoing Turkish rehabilitation work inside the facility," pointing to a recent visit by "a Turkish military delegation" to "inspect the ongoing rehabilitation work."
| The Times of Israel adds: |
The military indicated the man was targeting troops situated in southern Syria, and his activity “posed an immediate threat to our forces.”
Syrian media reported that the strike in Beit Jinn injured one person. It did not report any deaths. The town is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Israeli border.