Israeli troops shot and killed a man suspected of trying to infiltrate an IDF post in southern Syria overnight, the military said Monday.
The incident occurred in an Israeli-controlled security zone near the Syrian village of al-Hamidiyah, close to the border with Israel. The man approached one of the military posts in the area, prompting Carmeli Brigade troops to begin a standard procedure for confronting a suspected intruder.
IDF forces is southern Syria
(Photo: IDF)
According to the military, the man continued climbing an embankment toward the post despite orders to stop and was eventually shot and killed outside the position.
The IDF said it was investigating the incident, including whether the man was armed and attempting to carry out an attack. No Israeli troops were injured.
“A short while ago, IDF soldiers identified a suspect attempting to infiltrate an IDF post in the Security Zone in southern Syria,” the military said shortly after the incident. “Following a quick identification, the soldiers fired toward the suspect and eliminated him. No IDF injuries were reported.”
“The IDF will continue to operate in the Security Zone in southern Syria in order to remove any threat to Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers,” it added.
The incident began when soldiers at one of the observation posts spotted a person climbing an embankment outside the military position. The troops called on him to stop and said he appeared to be holding something in his hand.
The man did not comply and continued advancing, according to the soldiers, prompting them to open fire. He was killed in the shooting.
Troops were searching the surrounding area afterward to rule out the presence of additional suspects.
A reserve officer serving in the buffer zone in Syria told ynet that it was not the first incident in recent weeks involving people approaching IDF positions.
“They are testing the area,” the officer said. “They send people, they send cells, they do all kinds of things to see where we operate and how we respond.”
“It reminds me of the period before Oct. 7,” he added, referring to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. “Disturbances, one person here, another person there. They see how long it takes you to respond, how you respond and from where you detect them.”
Several weeks ago, another Syrian man, allegedly armed with a knife, was suspected of attempting to infiltrate one of the IDF posts in the buffer zone and was detained. An investigation later determined that he was suffering from mental illness.