Israel Launches Strikes and Paratroop Operation Near Damascus
Israeli airstrikes and a rare paratroop landing targeted Syrian military sites near Al-Kiswah and Jabal al-Mani, southwest of Damascus.
Israel intensified its military campaign in Syria this week with a series of coordinated airstrikes and a rare ground operation near Damascus, underscoring the fragility of recently attempted peace efforts. Syrian state media and military sources said strikes targeted Al-Kiswah and Jabal al-Mani, areas long associated with strategic air-defense sites once operated by Iran. Witnesses reported intensive reconnaissance flights followed by helicopter landings and a paratroop drop.
Wave of Strikes Near Damascus
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Israel carried out at least 15 airstrikes around Damascus on Wednesday, hitting military facilities. Earlier, Israeli drones had killed six Syrian soldiers as they attempted to dismantle surveillance equipment. Syrian outlets reported additional raids on former military barracks in Al-Kiswah, followed by a landing operation. Syrian television described the attacks as the second wave in 24 hours targeting the same area.
Rare Airborne Operation
Syrian army sources told Sky News Arabia that Israeli forces conducted an airborne assault near Jabal al-Mani, a location of strategic height southwest of Damascus. The area once hosted Iranian-operated air-defense systems destroyed before the fall of Bashar al-Assad. A second report from Television Syria said helicopters deployed troops in Al-Kiswah after air raids, marking an unusual escalation in Israel’s campaign inside Syrian territory.
Regional and Political Context
The strikes coincided with the inauguration of the Damascus International Fair by new Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa, attended by more than 800 companies. Observers noted that some airstrikes fell within 10 kilometers of the venue, though the fair was unaffected. Al-Sharaa, a former Islamist commander who toppled Assad, is backed by the U.S. and Gulf states as the best chance for Syria’s recovery, but Israel remains wary given his past links to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
The escalation also comes after U.S.-mediated talks in Paris between Israeli and Syrian officials aimed at reducing tensions. Instead, the latest raids underscore how unresolved security concerns — especially over Iran’s past and present footprint in Syria — continue to drive military confrontation.