According to local media, an Israeli military patrol entered Syrian territory this morning west and south of the town of Rafid, in the southwestern province of Quneitra.

This movement comes one day after the deployment of Israeli troops near the Mantara Dam, in the center of that province.

These actions come amid a growing escalation of tension in southern Syria, particularly in the Sweida governorate, the scene of a spiral of violence that has left at least 1,100 dead and thousands wounded and displaced.

Separately, Israeli fighter jets and drones carried out several airstrikes in western Sweida, coinciding with an offensive by tribal fighters.

The raids focused on the road connecting the towns of Mazra, Ariqa, Adour and the surrounding area of Um Zaitoun.

So far, the number of casualties and the extent of the material damage caused by these bombings have not been confirmed.

Meanwhile, Israeli helicopters also circled over the area, with no official information on their operations.

Israel justifies these attacks by claiming the need to protect the Druze community, a minority in both Syria and Israel.

However, these attacks come alongside an intensification of the military offensive, which last week included bombings of the Ministry of Defense and the Presidential Palace in Damascus.

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