Clashes erupt after Israeli raid kills 13 in southern Syria

The Israeli army killed 13 people on Friday during a raid in southern Syria that sparked clashes with local villagers and left six Israeli soldiers wounded.

Israeli troops infiltrated the village of Beit Jinn, located 50km southwest of Damascus, just before dawn. 

Helicopters and artillery struck in the area as soldiers stormed homes and seized three individuals, according to local media.

Residents then exchanged fire with the Israeli forces, prompting fighter jets to launch air strikes as the troops became "encircled," Syrian media reported.

At least 13 Syrians, including children, were killed, and 25 others injured, according to health officials.

The Israeli military confirmed that six soldiers were wounded, three of them seriously. Haaretz reported that two officers were among the three soldiers listed in serious condition. 

The Israeli shelling also triggered a wave of displacement as families fled to nearby villages

The Israeli military said it raided the village to arrest people it said were members of Al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya, the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

In the subsequent clashes, an Israeli Humvee was hit and later destroyed by Israeli air strikes.

The Syrian foreign ministry condemned what it described as a "horrific massacre" of civilians, resulting from a "criminal attack" by Israeli forces that sparked clashes with residents who were "defending themselves".

Israel has regularly carried out cross-border raids in southern Syria and the Damascus countryside over the past year, following rebel-led assault that toppled the former regime of Bashar al-Assad.