"Residents of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside held funeral processions on Friday for those killed during an Israeli military operation that struck the village at dawn. Footage shows ambulances arriving with multiple casualties as families weep over the bodies of their relatives, before residents gather for funeral prayers and escort the deceased to burial sites across the village. "We call upon the Syrian [transitional] government to protect us, as we are a peaceful people who oppose no one, including Israel, but we will not accept any violation of our security in Beit Jinn village," stated village resident Asaad Qabalan. According to the Syrian news agency (SANA), 13 people were killed and dozens injured, including children, in the dawn attack on the village, during which Israeli forces detained three individuals before withdrawing. SANA remarked that residents attempted to confront the Israeli forces, who responded with heavy gunfire while Israeli aircraft flew overhead, prompting several families to flee to nearby towns. The Israeli military stated it conducted the dawn operation to apprehend alleged members of 'the Islamic Group', based on "intelligence information gathered in the past several weeks." In an official statement, the Israeli Defence Forces announced, "The suspects operated in the area of Beit Jinn and advanced terror attacks against Israeli civilians," adding, "During the activity, several armed terrorists opened fire at the troops, who responded with fire toward the terrorists, along with aerial assistance to the troops." The military confirmed six military personnel sustained injuries ranging from severe to light and were hospitalised, noting that "the operation has concluded, with all suspects apprehended, and a number of terrorists were eliminated." Since the interim government assumed power in Damascus in December 2024, Israel has expanded its control in southern Syria, deploying forces to the buffer zone and systematically dismantling Syrian military assets through air and naval strikes to prevent their acquisition by 'hostile forces'."