JERUSALEM/DAMASCUS – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Saturday that it fired toward a militant who was in the final stages of preparing an attack in southern Syria.

In a statement, the IDF claimed that the militant's activity posed an immediate threat to Israeli soldiers, adding that it would continue to operate to remove threats to its soldiers and Israeli civilians.

Syrian state news agency SANA reported that a civilian was injured when an Israeli drone targeted a car in the town of Beit Jinn in southwestern Damascus. The injured person was transferred to a hospital.

The report did not identify the person targeted or provide details about the circumstances surrounding the strike.

Following the attack, Syria's foreign affairs authority condemned "in the strongest terms" what it described as the Israeli occupation forces' targeting of a civilian vehicle, saying the attack resulted in several injuries among civilians.

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The authority said the attack constituted "a blatant violation" of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity and a flagrant breach of international law, adding that it came amid repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territory.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had documented 57 Israeli attacks on Syrian territory since the beginning of 2026, including six air attacks and 51 ground attacks.

The latest strike took place days after Israeli airstrikes targeted the Abu al-Duhur military airport in Idlib province in northwestern Syria, which caused material damage but no casualties. The airport, a major Syrian airbase, is situated near routes linking parts of Idlib, Aleppo and Hama provinces.

On Saturday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that the Tuesday strikes on the Syrian military airport were in response to "clear intelligence" received about Türkiye's intentions to carry out actions there that would endanger Israel's security.

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Katz said the Israeli military had recommended several times to attack the airport, rejecting claims by the Israeli opposition that the operation was carried out for political reasons ahead of Israel's general elections on Oct 27. He said Syria had received a diplomatic warning before the strike.

The strikes further strained relations between Türkiye and Israel. US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said Israel did not inform the United States of the attack in advance.

An Israeli official said the strikes were aimed at preventing the arrival of Turkish equipment or troops by air at the airbase.

Israel informs US of possible Turkish radar deployment in Syrian airbase

Meanwhile, Israel told the United States that Türkiye was preparing to deploy a radar system and air-defense assets at a Syrian airbase, Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported on Saturday.

Israeli security officials reportedly told Washington that the alleged Turkish move could "significantly" alter the regional balance of power.

Sources familiar with the discussions told the channel that Israel did not provide a timetable for the possible Turkish deployment. Yet, they identified Abu al-Duhur military airport as a potential site.

Security personnel injured in bus bombing near Damascus

Also on Saturday, an explosive device detonated on a bus carrying Syrian internal security forces in the Damascus countryside, injuring several personnel, state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV reported, citing a security source.

The attack occurred on the road between Maarouna and Al-Tall, north of the Syrian capital, according to the source.

The source did not specify the number of the injured, but described the incident as a "terrorist act."

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Authorities are working to identify those responsible.