Syrian man with disabilities shot dead by IDF during raid; army says he posed threat to troops

A Syrian man with disabilities was shot dead by Israeli soldiers during a raid in a village in the country’s south overnight, according to state media.

The state-run SANA news agency reports that a “civilian with a disability was killed by Israeli occupation forces on Thursday during an incursion into Jamla.”

Jamla is located around two kilometers from the Israeli border, inside an IDF-controlled buffer zone.

SANA reports that troops raided the village’s eastern neighborhood and “positioned snipers on the rooftops of residential buildings as they continued their movements in the area.”

In response to a query by The Times of Israel, the IDF says that troops had operated overnight in the “security zone in southern Syria,” and that during the raid, “troops identified a suspect approaching them and carried out a suspect arrest procedure.”

“The suspect continued approaching the force, which responded by firing at the suspect to eliminate the threat,” the IDF says, adding that the incident is under further review.

Syria’s Foreign Ministry condemned “in the strongest terms the Israeli occupation forces’ crime of killing a young man with special needs,” adding that “targeting civilians constitutes a grave violation of international law and international humanitarian law.”

SANA also reports that on Wednesday night, the Israeli military shelled the outskirts of the nearby town of Abdin with two shells, without causing any injuries or damage.

Israeli artillery shelling in southern Syria is not uncommon.

The IDF has remained deployed to nine posts in a buffer zone in the south of Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.

Troops have also been operating in areas up to around 15 kilometers deep into Syria, aiming to capture weapons that Israel says could pose a threat to the country if they fall into the hands of “hostile forces.”