IDF fights terrorists during invasion of Syria
Bodycam video shows face-to-face gun battles between Israeli forces and terrorists during the attack on Beit Jann, as IDF forces arrest terror suspects. (Video: IDF Spokespersons Unit.)
The IDF on Friday released body camera footage of a rare close-quarters gun battle in southern Syria, where troops from the 55th Brigade were fired upon while arresting members of al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, a Sunni terrorist group that Israel identifies as part of the broader Muslim Brotherhood network.
The cross-border gun battles come as the Trump administration focuses on targeting Brotherhood members and tensions rise between Netanyahu and Syria’s interim president.
The night operation took place in the Beit Jann area, approximately 10 kilometers inside Syria, under the 210th Division. According to the IDF, troops entered the area to detain suspects involved in planting IEDs and planning future attacks on Israel, including possible rocket fire. Two suspects were arrested before a gunfight broke out.
Six IDF soldiers were injured, three of whom were in serious condition. Several terrorists were killed, the IDF said, and the suspects were taken to Israel for questioning.
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IDF forces move through the Beit Jann area of southern Syria during the overnight operation to arrest members of Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, the Muslim Brotherhood-linked militant group. (IDF) (IDF)
Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, founded as the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, has worked with Hamas and Hezbollah in maintaining infrastructure in southern Lebanon and along the Syria-Lebanon border. The IDF says it has repeatedly attacked the organization’s sites in Syria and Lebanon during the current war.
Channel 12 political correspondent Amit Segal noted on Friday that the incident marks the first time since December 2024 – when Israeli forces took control of the Syrian side of Mount Hermon – that Israeli forces have been injured in a Syrian firefight.
Segal wrote: “Could Syria become the IDF’s new Lebanon? … With six soldiers injured in one night, the big question is whether this is a one-off event, or whether this marks the beginning of a long, uneasy Israeli presence in Syria.”
Tensions between Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have increased since Sharaa’s unprecedented visit to Washington earlier this month. Sharaa met President Donald Trump at the White House for discussions on sanctions relief and counter-terrorism coordination, making him the first Syrian leader to visit Washington since the start of the Syrian war.
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Israeli forces secure the area around Beit Jann after detaining two suspects and coming under fire in one of the worst clashes on the Syrian front this year. (IDF)
Netanyahu publicly criticized the visit the same day, saying Sharaa returned “puffed up with a sense of international legitimacy,” and warning that any discussions between the US and Syria “must not be at Israel’s expense.”
Additional reporting in the Jerusalem Post and Channel 12 noted that security arrangements affecting Israel’s northern front were discussed in broad terms between US and Syrian officials, although no agreements were reached, and Washington emphasized that consultations with Israel were ongoing.
Friday’s clash came the same week that the Trump administration launched a sweeping effort to designate Muslim Brotherhood affiliates as terrorist organizations. The White House directive directs federal agencies to evaluate and sanction Brotherhood entities in countries including Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, citing global financial, political and operational ties between affiliates.
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IDF armored vehicles maneuver in the Beit Jann area of southern Syria during the night counter-terrorism operation against Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya. (IDF)
The White House statement said the Brotherhood is “fueling campaigns of terrorism and destabilization against American interests and allies.”
Sen. Ted CruzR-Texas, praised the move on his podcast Verdict, telling co-host Ben Ferguson that the appointment marks the culmination of a decade of legislative efforts. Cruz said, “This is literally ten years of hard work, and it will make America safer because the Muslim Brotherhood is funding terrorists who want to kill you and me.”
Noting that many US allies in the Middle East – including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE – have already banned the organization, he told listeners: “They really want the United States to do what President Trump did this week.”
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As Washington increases pressure on Brotherhood-affiliated movements, Israel increasingly faces Brotherhood-affiliated armed groups in the northern arena – from Hamas in Gaza to al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya in Syria and Lebanon.
As Beit Jann emerges as a focal point for cross-border operations and US policy tightens, analysts say regional clashes involving Brotherhood-linked groups could enter a new phase.
