Israeli military raids Syrian villages in western Deraa Israeli military forces raided the towns of Ma’ariya and al-Arda in southern Syria ’s Yarmouk Basin area at dawn, according to local officials cited by the news agency Sana. Operating until 7am, the troops set up temporary checkpoints and conducted extensive searches of vehicles. Muwaffaq Mahmoud, head of the Abidin and Ma’ariya Municipal Council, told the agency that Israeli forces entered the area at dawn with several military vehicles and positioned themselves at the eastern entrance to Ma’ariya near the town’s water well.