The Israeli army has advanced into southern Syria, seizing control of areas near the Israel-Syria border and launching strikes against strategic weapons, according to Syrian and Israeli sources on Monday.
Israeli tanks moved into the southwestern Syrian city of Quneitra, near the occupied Golan Heights, reaching the governorate building as drones circled overhead, a Syrian source reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, confirmed that multiple sites in Quneitra were hit.
Addressing a press briefing on Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stated that militants in Syria had crossed into the buffer zone between Syria and Israel over the weekend, violating the disengagement agreement between the two countries. "The militants also attacked positions of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, which monitors the agreement near the border," Sa'ar said.
"In response, and given the threat to our communities in the Golan Heights, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) carried out a targeted and temporary operation to take control of areas near the border," he added.
The Israeli army launched strikes targeting "strategic weapons systems, residual chemical weapons capabilities, and long-range missiles and rockets" in Syria to prevent them from falling into the hands of "extremist elements."
According to the IDF, Israeli commando forces on Sunday seized the buffer zone and a Syrian army outpost on the summit of Mount Hermon. Israeli warplanes also conducted airstrikes near Damascus and elsewhere in Syria, targeting weapons storage facilities.
In a video statement released on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to take control of the positions temporarily to ensure they would not fall into the hands of militant groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The group's sweeping offensive across Syria since November 27 resulted in the rapid fall of President Bashar al-Assad's government on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the general command of the militant groups that recently captured Damascus announced on Monday that acts of violence, personal score-settling, and the sale of stolen weapons would carry stiff penalties, including prison terms of up to three years. Public sector employees were ordered to return to work, and pharmacists were directed to keep their shops open during designated hours or risk confiscation.
A strict overnight curfew was imposed from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time in Damascus and surrounding areas, as well as in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartous, exempting security personnel, firefighters, medical staff, ambulances, and internal security forces. Violators will face a month in jail.
The University of Tartous announced the resumption of administrative and academic operations starting Tuesday, with exams, particularly practical assessments, to be rescheduled at a later date.
Reference(s):
Israeli army controls border areas, strikes strategic weapons in Syria
cgtn.com
