Rocket-firing brothers arrested in Syria as firefight leaves six IDF soldiers hurt

Two members of al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya who were detained overnight in the southern Syrian village of Beit Jinn had in the past launched rockets at Israel, according to the military.

The IDF says it had collected intelligence in recent weeks indicating that the operatives were planning additional attacks against Israel.

The pair are brothers, with one considered by the IDF to be the “main” suspect. Israeli troops arrested them in their beds at home.

As the troops began to leave the home with the two suspects, they came under fire, according to the IDF. The troops returned fire, and the Israeli Air Force also provided support with strikes from helicopters and drones. Fighter jets also conducted several strikes on predetermined targets, the military says.

The military says that several gunmen were killed in the fighting.

The gunfire mostly targeted an army Humvee, which, as a result, got stuck. The troops inside were forced to abandon the vehicle inside Beit Jinn. Later, the IDF bombed the Humvee from the air.

Six soldiers were wounded by the gunfire, including three seriously. IAF helicopters airlifted the wounded troops to hospitals in Israel.