Abdin residents confront Israeli patrol as Syria buffer zone tensions rise

Abdin,UPDATED: Jun 29, 2026 23:40 IST

Residents of Abdin in southern Syria tried to block an Israeli military patrol on Sunday after troops and vehicles entered the town, with some people placing rocks on roads and young men and boys throwing stones. Residents said Israeli troops fired warning shots at walls and between protesters before shelling the village with artillery rounds. No one was hurt, but most residents fled and many had still not returned by Monday.

The incident came amid rising tensions in southern Syria, where Israeli forces control a UN-patrolled buffer zone. Residents fear the latest clash could lead to more raids and incursions, while Syrian officials have condemned the Israeli action and called for a withdrawal from the area.

Abdin is near the buffer zone that Israel seized in December 2024 after the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in an insurgent offensive. Israeli officials had initially described the move as temporary and aimed at protecting their borders from militant groups, but senior officials have since said they plan to remain in the zone indefinitely. Israel says such buffer zones are needed to prevent future attacks, as part of a broader military approach adopted after the October 2023 Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel.

Resident Mohammad al-Hassan described the repeated Israeli entries into the village. "They come into the village regularly, every few days," he said. "They come in armoured 4x4 vehicles, they roam around the village and search some houses, they knock on doors and if people don't answer the door they break it down and enter the houses. Women and children start screaming, it's a terrifying thing, them coming here."

The violence in Abdin was the second such incident in less than 24 hours. Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military said it had killed armed men in southern Syria, without giving details. On Monday, an Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity under military briefing rules, said Israeli soldiers had killed two militants who were planning to attack Israeli troops, but did not say where the incident took place. Imad Hassoun, the mayor of the Syrian village of Hadar, said two unknown men in a pickup truck just south of the village were killed in an attack and their bodies were taken by the Israeli military. "There was the sound of an explosion when it happened," Hassoun told The Associated Press. "They weren't from Hadar. If they were, we would immediately know." On the Abdin incident, the same Israeli official said armed militants had opened fire at one of the Israeli military's strongholds, but nobody was hurt.

Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa has called on Israel to withdraw from the area, which the UN says covers 235 square kilometres. There have been no cross-border attacks from Syria into Israel since Assad's ouster, apart from two rockets fired by a little-known militant group. But Israeli military incursions into towns in southwestern Syria have at times triggered resistance from residents and led to violent clashes.

Residents of Abdin said they had initially hoped US-mediated talks between Israel and Syria in France on a possible security agreement would ease tensions, but those talks now appear to have stalled. Many people are leaving because of insecurity, lack of jobs and poor services. The nearest government security checkpoint is about 10 kilometres away, while those who remain face shortages of water and electricity. Sobhi al-Tawlbi, 66, said farmers were struggling to reach their produce and water sources. "We need the government to support us a little so we can remain steadfast in our villages," he said, while calling for international pressure on Israel to stop its incursions. Al-Hassan said residents were only seeking stability. "Why are they bothering us? We are living here peacefully in this border area," he said.

The latest violence in Abdin has added to fears among residents of further instability in southern Syria, where Israeli military activity, official condemnation from Damascus and worsening local conditions continue to shape daily life.

With PTI Inputs

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