Israel launches ground operation in Syria, captures Syrian citizen
Illustrative photo (getty images)
Israeli forces announced on Sunday that they carried out a ground raid into Syria, capturing a Syrian citizen linked to Iranian networks. This marked the first publicly disclosed instance of Israeli forces operating on Syrian soil in the current conflict, according to AP.
Israel has launched airstrikes in Syria multiple times over the past year, targeting members of the Lebanese Hezbollah and Iranian officials, key allies of both Hezbollah and Syria. However, it had not previously disclosed information regarding ground operations in Syria.
The Israeli military stated that the capture was part of a special operation “that took place in recent months” but did not specify when it occurred.
The pro-government Syrian radio station Sham FM reported on Sunday that Israeli forces conducted a “kidnapping operation” over the summer, targeting a man in the southern region of the country.
The military identified the captured man as Ali Soleiman al-Assi, stating he resides in the southern Syrian area of Saida. The IDF reported that the man had been under military surveillance for several months and was involved in Iranian initiatives aimed at areas of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights near the Syrian border.
Previously, Israeli forces reportedly abducted a senior Hezbollah official during an unprecedented operation — special forces landed on the coast of Batroun in northern Lebanon, captured the suspected official, and escaped on a speedboat.
