Daijiworld Media Network – Damascus

Damascus, Jun 11: Israeli forces reportedly entered parts of southern Syria early on Thursday, setting up checkpoints and restricting civilian movement in the Yarmouk Basin area of western Deraa countryside, according to Syria's state-run news agency SANA.

Quoting a local official, SANA reported that Israeli troops stormed the towns of Ma’ariya and al-Arda with several military vehicles and established positions near key access points in the area.

Muwaffaq Mahmoud, head of the Abidin and Ma’ariya Municipal Council, said the forces entered the region at dawn and stationed themselves at the eastern entrance of Ma’ariya near the town’s water well.

According to Mahmoud, Israeli soldiers searched both public and private vehicles and continued the operation until around 7 am local time before moving towards the towns of Ma’ariya and Abidin.

He said temporary checkpoints were established in the area, where extensive searches of vehicles were conducted, disrupting the movement of local residents.

The latest operation comes amid continued tensions along the Syrian-Israeli frontier. Syria has repeatedly called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from its territory and has condemned what it describes as repeated violations of its sovereignty.

There was no immediate comment from Israeli authorities regarding the reported operation.