Syria's interim president calls on Israel to withdraw from buffer zone

Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has called on Israel to withdraw from a 235-square-kilometre area designated by the United Nations as tensions escalated in southern Syria following Israeli military operations near the border.

The Syrian government also condemned an Israeli military incursion and shelling in the town of Abdin, near the UN-monitored buffer zone in the Golan Heights, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

According to residents, Israeli troops and military vehicles entered Abdin on June 29, prompting locals to block roads with rocks while some protesters threw stones at the patrol. Witnesses said Israeli soldiers fired warning shots before artillery rounds struck the village. No injuries were reported, but many residents fled their homes and remained reluctant to return, fearing further military action.

The incident marked the second outbreak of violence in the area in less than 24 hours.

Earlier on June 28, the Israeli military said it had killed armed men in southern Syria without providing further details. On June 30, an Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity under military briefing rules, said Israeli forces had killed two militants who were planning to attack Israeli troops. The official did not specify the location of the operation.

The mayor of the Syrian village of Hadar said two unidentified men travelling in a pickup truck south of the village were killed in an attack and that their bodies were taken by the Israeli military.

The latest developments come as Israel maintains that its military presence in parts of southern Syria is necessary for national security.

Earlier, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel would not compromise on issues related to border security and intended to maintain control over what it described as its security zones in Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip. 

By Sabina Mammadli