Israeli forces entered Syria’s southwestern Quneitra province on Sunday to resume excavation in the occupied territory, while a Syrian highway security officer was killed and two others wounded in a separate attack in neighbouring Daraa.
An Israeli force accompanied by a bulldozer and an excavator entered the al-Akar area, southwest of Hanout farm near Abu al-Ghaythar hill in rural Quneitra, according to the Horan Free League monitoring group.
The group said Israeli troops were continuing construction of a six-metre-high earth embankment, alongside excavation of a road within it measuring four metres deep and up to five metres wide.
The Golan Media Foundation said the work marked the resumption of the "Sufa 53" project after a pause of about six weeks. It warned that the embankment could extend into farmland and grazing areas, restricting residents’ access and threatening their livelihoods.
The foundation’s director, Fadi al-Asmai, told The New Arab that recent developments on the ground pointed towards an escalation ahead of the Israeli elections.
He linked the movements to two possible developments: an offensive by Suweida’s National Guard militia to retake the province’s western countryside, and Israeli efforts to establish a security belt beyond the Sufa 53 line.
Al-Asmai suggested that a National Guard offensive could seek to win support within the Druze community, which he linked to political calculations surrounding the Israeli elections. He said a wider Israeli security belt would leave local communities more vulnerable to pressure.
The developments come amid tensions in neighbouring Suweida, where Syrian government forces and Druze armed groups have faced off and Damascus has reinforced its positions along the province’s western front.
Israeli forces committed at least 88 violations across Quneitra, Daraa, Damascus and rural Damascus between 8 and 14 October, according to documentation by the Sijil Center.
Security officer killed in Daraa
Separately, a Syrian highway security officer was killed and two others wounded in an attack on a checkpoint in southern Daraa province early on Sunday.
Four gunmen riding two motorcycles attacked the checkpoint at Kharba village, on the road linking Bosra al-Sham and Daraa.
The officer killed was identified as Mohammed al-Miqdad, from Bosra al-Sham, and the wounded men as Omar al-Diyyat and Abdel Mawla al-Diyyat. Both were taken to Daraa National Hospital for treatment.
Checkpoint personnel captured two of the attackers, one of whom was wounded in the exchange of fire, while the other two fled, the network reported.
State news agency SANA said security forces had arrested attackers following a clash, without identifying their affiliations. Al-Miqdad’s funeral took place on Sunday with officials in attendance.