According to Syrian state media, 13 Syrians, including women and children, have been killed by Israeli forces in southern Syria overnight.
In a statement, the Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the incident and called it "a war crime" that risks igniting the entire region, writes The Times of Israel.
The night's clashes erupted after Israeli soldiers arrested three suspected extremists during a raid in the village of Beit Jinn in southern Syria.
Israel accuses the three, two of whom are said to be brothers belonging to the organization al-Jamaa al-Islamiyya, of carrying out and planning attacks against Israel. The movement has ties to both Hamas and Hezbollah.
As the forces were about to leave the scene with the detainees, they were fired upon and six soldiers were injured, three of them seriously, according to the Israeli military. Israel says it responded with drone and helicopter fire.
Since the fall of Syria's former dictator Bashar al-Assad in December last year, Israel has carried out hundreds of attacks and raids in Syria. Friday's is the deadliest yet.
