Israel expanding Syria operations: Buffer zone or open-ended campaign?
Syria's options for responding to Israeli military's actions are limited as the war-torn country seeks international acceptance, according to experts.
Israeli military incursions into southern Syria have gone as deep as the town of Kodana, expanding Israel's control of territory beyond the Golan Heights by more than two miles. Experts say the expansion is a preemptive move by the Israeli military to expand its buffer zone and counter Turkey, as the new government in Damascus finds itself unable to respond.
A total of 29 people have been killed by Israeli military actions in Syria this year, including 14 members of the government's security forces and 13 civilians, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Persistent operations
The Israeli military said early Thursday morning that it clashed with militants who fired at them overnight in southern Syria’s Tasil, located about 30 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of Daraa. Syria's official news agency, SANA, reported that nine civilians were killed by the Israeli military in the area.
