(MENAFN) The UN human rights office expressed deep concern on Friday over reports that an Israeli ground operation in the town of Beit Jinn, near Damascus, caused multiple civilian casualties, including women and children.

In remarks to a news agency, spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said the office is "working to verify the reported casualties and other human rights impacts" of the operation, which occurred Friday morning. He emphasized that the reports come amid a pattern of "many reported incursions by the Israeli military inside Syria’s territory since December 2024," following the fall of the Assad regime.

Al-Kheetan called for independent and prompt investigations into the incident and previous operations, stating, “We call for accountability for those responsible for all alleged violations.”

The attack on Beit Jinn and the road leading to it reportedly left at least 13 people dead, including women and children, and caused an equal number of injuries, according to official Syrian media.

Civil Defense teams and local health services were deployed to recover victims and treat the wounded.

The Israeli army said six Israeli soldiers were injured, including three critically, during the operation. Meanwhile, the Syrian government condemned the incursion as a "criminal assault," asserting that the raid and subsequent airstrikes amounted to a war crime.

The UN office’s statement underscores growing international concern over civilian protection amid ongoing cross-border military actions in southern Syria.

MENAFN29112025000045017640ID1110412366