Israeli occupation forces established a temporary military checkpoint on a road linking two villages in western Damascus countryside on Saturday, October 10, searching passing civilians and vehicles during a new incursion into Syrian territory, according to local media reports.
The patrol, consisting of three military vehicles, moved along the road connecting the villages of Arna and Darbal before setting up the checkpoint. Personnel reportedly stopped passersby and searched vehicles travelling through the area. No further details about arrests, injuries or the duration of the operation were immediately reported.
The incident was reported by ANHA, which said the checkpoint was part of continued Israeli military movements in the western Damascus countryside and southern Quneitra region. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has also documented repeated incursions and temporary checkpoints in southern Syria.
The latest reported operation comes amid a broader pattern of Israeli military incursions into Syrian territory. These have included patrols entering villages, searches of civilians, temporary checkpoint installations and raids on agricultural areas. On October 5, Israeli forces reportedly entered agricultural land near Beit Jinn in the western Damascus countryside and demolished an abandoned building.
Israeli forces expanded their presence in the Syrian buffer zone following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024. Damascus has repeatedly demanded their withdrawal and called for respect for Syrian sovereignty and the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
The establishment of checkpoints inside Syrian territory raises concerns about restrictions on civilian movement and the continued expansion of Israeli military activity beyond the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
