Syrian media reported that one person was wounded after Israeli troops opened fire Friday on demonstrators in southern Syria.

According to the local Daraa 24 outlet, residents of towns in the Yarmouk River basin gathered near a former Syrian army post close to the village of Maariya to protest against the IDF presence in Syria.

The outlet said the soldiers opened fire in the air to stop the demonstrators from approaching, and one person was hit directly and wounded.

There was no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces.

Maariya, on the western edge of Syria’s southern Daraa province, is near the Israeli Golan Heights, but outside of a buffer zone in the Golan established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement between Syria and Israel.

Friday’s incident came a day after villagers alleged that the troops stationed in the abandoned army base were preventing local farmers from accessing their fields.

Israeli troops entered the buffer zone — a roughly 400-square-kilometer (154-square-mile) demilitarized zone separating Israel from Syria — shortly after Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled on December 8, saying it was a temporary move designed to ensure security for Israeli communities near the border amid the chaos of regime change. The IDF has also acknowledged operating in some areas just beyond the buffer zone.

Israeli allies have said they understand Israel’s need to secure the border, although many have cautioned against remaining in the territory long term, and France, the UN and others have called for Israeli troops to pull back.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told troops during a visit to the area this week that they will have to remain in place there “until another arrangement can be found that guarantees Israel’s security,” indicating it was likely they would stay through 2025.

Agencies contributed to this report.