Israel has expanded its military presence in southwest Syria since Assad’s regime was toppled in December [Getty]
Israeli forces infiltrated several towns and villages in southwest Syria’s Quneitra governorate on Saturday and carried out searches, a day after two airstrikes in the region.
Syria’s official news agency SANA said the Israeli soldiers set up checkpoints to search passersby in some areas.
The villages of Tal Ahmar, Ruwaihinah, and Rasm al-Halabi saw incursions by the Israeli army, which used vehicles and tanks.
SANA said the Israeli forces withdrew hours later.
It comes after two Israeli strikes on Friday targeted a security building and a vehicle in southern Syria.
Local sources told Anadolu Agency that an Israeli drone targeted the interior ministry’s headquarters in the town of Al-Salam in the Quneitra governorate just after 8 pm (5 pm GMT).
The sources added that the attack caused only material damage and no casualties.
It was unclear why that building was struck.
Separately, the Israeli military said that it struck a vehicle containing a machine gun in southern Syria, without providing further information.
Since the December overthrow of former president Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Israel has expanded its military presence in war torn Syria’s south and carried out hundreds of airstrikes, primarily targeting military and government sites.
Israeli troops have been deployed across the demilitarised zone on the Syrian side of the armistice line near the occupied Golan Heights, a boundary that once separated opposing forces.
The Israeli forces have since captured dozens of villages in the Quneitra governorate as well as the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, alleging security purposes after an Islamist government rose to power in Damascus in December.
A number of people have also been killed or detained, some of them accused by Israel of having ties to Iran or Iran-backed groups.
Israel has called for southern Syria to be demilitarised, warning the government in Damascus about deploying heavy arms there.
Amid these attacks, Israel and Syria have engaged in direct talks to reportedly reach a security deal and de-escalate tensions, with growing speculation that the two sides could also ink a peace agreement.
Some reports have suggested that Syria could even join the controversial US-brokered Abraham Accords and normalise ties with Israel.