![An Israeli military vehicle is seen near the border between the occupied Golan Heights and Syria, May 4, 2025 [Shir Torem/Reuters]](https://static.srpcdigital.com/styles/1037xauto/public/2025-09/1216658_0.jpeg.webp)
An Israeli officer was seriously wounded in an explosion near an army post in southern Syria on Monday, the military said.
While the cause of the blast is under investigation, sources in the Israeli Army said the officer was likely hit by an old Syrian landmine.
The incident took place in the area occupied by Israel after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime and where it established nine security posts, extending from Mount Hermon and through Quneitra until Deraa governate.
The reservist, in addition to being a tank officer, serves as a military rabbi. He was wounded while preparing the site ahead of the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, which is set to take place later this week.
While the Israeli army has not released further details about the officer’s condition, media outlets reported that military engineers are working at the site to ensure there are no additional threats.
The borderline area where the officer was wounded is planted with tens of thousands of mines. While the Israeli army estimates that the explosion was caused by an old Syrian landmine it continues to examine the source of the blast.
Israeli forces have not only occupied parts of southern Syria since December 2024. They also infiltrated inside Syrian territories, raided villages, detained and attacked residents, inflicting several casualties and injuries.
Israeli attacks continue despite efforts to reach a security agreement between the two countries.
Efforts to reach a security pact between Syria and Israel have hit a last-minute snag over Israel's demand that it be allowed to open a “humanitarian corridor” to Syria's southern province of Sweida, four sources familiar with the talks told Reuters last week.
The pact was intended to create a demilitarized zone that would include the province of Sweida, where sectarian violence in July killed hundreds of people from the Druze community.
