By Rachel Avraham
Yesterday, Israel Hayom reported that the State of Israel targeted Iranian and Syrian military targets near Damascus. The Syrian-based Observatory for Human Rights reported that 10 people were killed including three Syrian Army officers and five members of the Iran’s Al Quds Force. “The attack damaged warehouses, command posts and military complexes, and batteries of surface-to-air missiles,” the IDF told Israel Hayom.
Lieutenant Jonathan of the Israel Defense Forces added in a recent video clip: “Iranian led terror activity inside Syria has posed an increased threat to Israel’s security. Since the outbreak of the war in 2011, Iran has attempted to entrench itself and its proxies including the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah in Southern Syria close to Israel’s border.”
“During 2018 and 2019, Iranian militants launched direct aerial attacks on Israel from inside Syria,” he added. “The IDF thwarted an attack from the buffer zone in the Syrian Golan Heights and more recently, the IDF thwarted an attempt by four terrorists to place an improvised explosive device near the Alpha Line against Israel. The terrorists crossed the border between Syria and Israel near the Security Fence before they were stopped by IDF troops. These steps contradict a clear violation of the Agreement on Disengagement.”
The IDF added on Twitter, “The IDF can confirm that Iranian Quds Force 840, which is part of Iran’s global network of terror, was responsible for the IED attacks on the Israel-Syrian border this week and in August 2020. We will not allow Iran to entrench itself in Syria.”
Commenting on the matter, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on his Facebook page: “We attacked significant targets of the Al Quds Force in Syria and also the Syrian military. We should not permit the Iranians to act against us in Syria and we should not permit any attack against us from Syria. The one who tries to attack us, we will cut them off ahead of time.”
Following these developments, former Israeli Communication Minister Ayoob Kara declared: “Syria must take steps to ensure that Iran and its proxies don’t entrench themselves in their territory. Their regime must know that Israel will act against Iran’s entrenchment within Syrian territory. Therefore, Syria must learn to control what happens in their country for if they do not, Israel will attack Syria. Assad is responsible for his cooperation with Iran and Israel must attack everyone who seeks its destruction. If Biden continues Trump’s policies, Assad will be forced to change course and if not, Syria will find itself a new president.”
