The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that Israeli commandos have captured in a ground raid in Syria a Syrian citizen allegedly involved in Iranian surveillance operations. The operation marked Israel’s first publicized ground raid in Syria amidst heightened regional hostilities involving Iranian-backed forces in Syria and Lebanon.
The captured individual, identified as Ali Suleiman al-Asi, is accused of conducting surveillance and gathering intelligence on Israeli troop movements and assets along the Golan Heights, according to a statement from the IDF. Al-Asi told the IDF he was instructed by an Iranian-linked operative to observe the border area and relay information on Israeli military activity while under the guise of Syria’s military intelligence.
The IDF released body camera footage purportedly showing the moment al-Asi was apprehended. IDF’s Egoz commando unit and Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 504 were instrumental in planning and executing the mission.
The IDF has released footage showing forces from the Egoz Unit, along with field interrogators from Unit 504, operating under the command of the 210th Division and guided by intelligence, capturing Ali al-Aadi, a Syrian citizen in Saida, Daraa Province. According to the IDF, Ali… pic.twitter.com/m2Wo3fEp3t
— OSINTWarfare (@OSINTWarfare) November 3, 2024
In a statement, the said al-Assi’s arrest “prevented a future attack and led to the exposure of the operational methods of Iranian terror networks located near the Golan Heights.”
The IDF reiterated its commitment to prevent any encroachment that would endanger Israeli civilians. “The IDF will continue to operate to defend the sovereignty of the State of Israel and will not allow Iranian proxies in southern Syria to operate and threaten Israeli civilians.”
IDF’s recent announcement follows multiple Israeli airstrikes across Syria, which Israel has carried out with increasing frequency over recent years, targeting Iranian-aligned operatives, weapon depots, and military infrastructure. The Syrian government has not officially responded to Israel’s statement, though Syrian state-affiliated media reported that Israeli forces were behind a “kidnapping operation” in southern Syria over the summer.
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