IDF Troops at Syria Buffer Zone Post Fired Upon for First Time, Return Fire With Mortars and Helicopter

Israeli troops stationed inside Israel's buffer zone in southern Syria came under direct fire on Sunday, the first such incident at the fortified posts since deployment, with the IDF Spokesperson's Unit confirming no soldiers were injured. Forces returned fire with mortars and an IDF helicopter struck the open area where the gunfire originated. The incident is separate from the previous day's clash in which the 6th Etzioni Brigade killed two armed terrorists approaching from the Druze town of Hader. The IDF maintains nine fortified posts in southern Syria established after the December 2024 collapse of the Assad regime. Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed earlier this month that troops will remain in security zones in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza 'without any time limit' until Israel's northern and southern borders are secure.