Israeli Strikes Kill Six Syrian Troops Amid Progress In Talks With Damascus

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Two Israeli drone strikes hit the southern outskirts of the Syrian capital, Damascus, killing six troops of the new military on August 26.

The strikes targeted a large military camp located next to the town of Kiswah, where training grounds, underground depots, and missile launch sites are located.

Initially, media affiliated with Syria’s Islamist-led Interim Government blamed the deaths on incidents involving landmines and war remnants. However, the state-run Al-Ikhbariyah TV admitted later acknowledged that the troops were killed in Israeli drone strikes.

All six, including a field commander, were reportedly serving in the ranks of the 44th Division. Like all other formations of the new Syrian military, the unit is affiliated with Islamists factions, including the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Ahara al-Sham Movement, which announced its dissolution following the fall of the Assad regime last year.

Israeli drones continued to fly over Kiswah following the deadly strikes, causing a state of panic and de facto imposing a “no-drive” zone in the town and the nearby military camp.

Earlier in the day, an Israeli strike on the town of Tranjah in southern governorate of al-Qunitra killed a man, who was reportedly a civilian.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the strike, calling it in a statement “a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and relevant Security Council resolutions.” However, the ministry didn’t later acknowledge or condemn the deadly strikes on Kiswah.

Amid these developments, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel would not retreat from positions on Mount Hermon and in other areas in southern Syria.

Writing on X, Katz said “the IDF will remain on the summit of [Mount] Hermon and in the security zone that is vital to defending communities in the Golan and Galilee from threats emanating from the Syrian side.” He also emphasized once again that Israel would also continue to defend the Druze community in Syria.

Following the fall of the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel took over the buffer zone adjacent to the occupied Golan Heights, including Mount Hermon. The IDF established nine strategic posts there, including two on the mountain.

This deadly escalation by Israel came following reports indicating significant progress in talks with Syria on a security agreement.

Syria’s Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa himself confirmed to Arab journalists he met on August 24 that his government was in “advanced” talks with Israel on a security agreement.

Sky News Arabic quoted Sharaa as saying that any deal would be based on the lines set under the United Nations-sponsored 1974 Agreement on Disengagement between Israel and Syria that followed the war of 1973. Israel was not apparently pleased with the particular statement.

The recent developments highlight the dangerous game Sharaa and his government are attempting to play by trying to reach some understanding in Israel that would be viewed as acceptable by their radical Islamist base.

Sensing the difficult position of Sharaa and the overall weakness of war-torn Syria, Israel has so far shown no desire to make any concessions whatsoever. In fact, Israel appears to be upping its demands, for example by refusing to withdraw from the buffer zone.

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