Local Sources: Israel Blows Up Military Positions on Damascus Outskirts

Local Syrian sources say Israeli forces have blown up military positions and shelters on the slopes of Mount Hermon, near the village of Beqasem in the western Damascus countryside, in an incident whose sound was heard in several areas around the capital.

According to Mehr News Agency, citing Hawar News, the explosions were heard on Thursday in villages in the Wadi Barada area and were also heard in Qudsaya and Jdeidat Artouz. The blasts came after fortifications at military positions overlooking the village of Beqasem were destroyed.

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government on Dec. 8, 2024, Israel has expanded its airstrikes and ground operations in parts of Syria, targeting former military positions of the country’s army. Israeli forces have also entered the UN-monitored buffer zone in southern Syria and taken control of positions around Mount Hermon, known as Jabal al-Sheikh, a strategic area overlooking the Damascus countryside and the occupied Golan Heights.

Syrian media also reported on Sept. 20, 2026, the blowing up of former Syrian army military positions near the Quneitra Castle and shelling of areas in the Quneitra countryside. On Oct. 5, Israeli forces also blew up an abandoned building during an operation in the western Damascus countryside.