Israeli patrol raids southwestern Syrian village, sets up checkpoint

By Laith Al-Jnaidi and Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) - Israeli forces raided a village in the countryside of Quneitra province in southwestern Syria on Sunday and set up a temporary checkpoint in a continued violation of the country’s sovereignty, local media said.

The state-run Alikhbariya channel reported that an Israeli military patrol moved into the village of Bariqa in rural Quneitra and established a checkpoint in the area.

Israeli violations in southern Syria have become nearly daily in recent weeks and have included arrests and the establishment of temporary checkpoints, fueling public anger.

Syrians say continued Israeli violations are undermining efforts to restore stability and complicating government attempts to attract investment aimed at improving economic conditions.

Despite the fact that the Syrian government poses no threat to Israel, its forces have repeatedly entered Syrian territory and launched airstrikes, killing civilians and destroying Syrian military sites, vehicles, weapons, and ammunition.

Syrian government data shows that since December 2024, Israel has carried out over 1,000 airstrikes on Syria and more than 400 cross-border raids into the southern provinces.

After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated a 1974 agreement with Syria.