The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based war monitor, said the clashes started after members of a Bedouin tribe in Sweida province set up a checkpoint where they attacked and robbed a Druze man, leading to tit-for-tat attacks and kidnappings between the tribes and Druze armed groups.

An Israeli military official said, "we are reinforcing forces in the Golan Heights and along the border, ready for a multitude of scenarios."

Israel has launched a major airstrike targeting the Syrian Army Headquarters in Damascus, marking a dramatic escalation in regional tensions. The strike comes amid rising clashes along the Israeli-Syrian border and growing concerns over Syrian military coordination with Iranian-backed forces.

Israel is becoming further involved in Syria's internecine war and says it will remain there indefinitely "to protect our communities".