Israeli forces raid former air-defense base in their deepest incursion yet into Syria

Israeli forces raided a former airbase in southern Syria on Wednesday during a series of airstrikes in the area - their furthest such operation inside Syria since Bashar al-Assad was ousted last December.

- William Christou

The airbase, located near the city of al-Kiswah, about six miles south of Damascus, was a base for Iranian militias during Assad's rule.

Syrian state media reported that the Israeli military had carried out strikes in the same area a day earlier, killing six Syrian soldiers who had found Israeli listening and spying devices there. The soldiers were in the process of dismantling the devices when they were killed, state media said.

Israeli warplanes and drones prevented Syrian forces from entering the area until late on Wednesday night, after Israeli forces had left. A Syrian military source told Al Jazeera dozens of Israeli soldiers travelled to the site in four helicopters and spent more than two hours there, though it is unclear what exactly they did there.

The Israeli defense minister, Israel Katz, posted on X that forces were "operating in all combat zones day and night for the security of Israel", but otherwise offered no explanation.