Syria: An unprecedented Israeli operation near Damascus
An Israeli special forces force carried out a field operation inside Syrian territory early Friday morning, in the Yafour area, located approximately 10 kilometers from the capital, Damascus.
According to Syrian sources, the force members were transported by three Israeli Air Force helicopters and landed at a site believed to have been previously used by the Syrian Republican Guard during the era of ousted President Bashar al Assad.
The sources reported that the operation lasted approximately five hours and included inspections of the site, without providing further details regarding the mission’s objectives or results.
In a related development, media outlets reported that an Israeli force consisting of three armored vehicles entered the Syrian village of Rakhla, located near the border with Lebanon, as this move was described as the first of its kind in this region.
This news comes after the Israeli military announced on Wednesday the arrest of several individuals in southern Syria, whom it said belonged to a “terrorist cell linked to Iran”.
The Israeli army statement said the operation was based on intelligence obtained during previous investigations and resulted in night raids and the arrest of a number of suspects.
It’s worth noting that Israel has carried out a number of air and ground operations in Syria in recent years, targeting, according to official statements, sites linked to Iran or groups it describes as “supported by Tehran”.
However, direct ground operations deep inside Syria, especially near the capital, remain rare, making these reports—if confirmed—a significant development in the nature of Israeli activity on the Syrian scene.
