Damascus on Monday condemned what it called Israeli "violations of Syrian sovereignty" in the southern provinces of Daraa and Quneitra after a second consecutive day of clashes near the occupied buffer zone, in an escalation that threatens to complicate reported US-backed efforts to revive direct talks between the two countries.

What happened: Earlier in the day, the Israeli military said it had retaliated overnight after shots were fired at its forces operating in southern Syria. The military did not specify the nature of the fire targeting its troops or identify the attackers, stating only that Israeli soldiers returned fire and launched mortar shells, while an Israeli military helicopter struck an open area in the region to assist the troops.

Israel invaded southern Syria shortly after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. Since then, it has been occupying the demilitarized buffer zone established under the 1974 agreement between the two countries.

Ground clashes: The announcement followed reports in Syrian media on Sunday that Israeli forces had been operating overnight near the village of Abdin, west of Daraa. Syrian state news agency SANA reported that Israeli forces fired five artillery shells toward the village, which landed in agricultural fields. In an earlier report, SANA said Israeli tanks had advanced toward Abdin and that some residents attempted to block their approach by throwing stones, placing rocks on the roads and clashing with Israeli soldiers.