Israel Defense Forces troops operating in southern Syria have arrested several suspected terrorists during raids on weapons caches, the military announced on Sunday.
According to the IDF, soldiers from the 210th “Bashan” Division are actively deployed in the region, with the mission of neutralizing any threat to Israeli citizens, especially those living in the Golan Heights.
The division’s area of operations extends from the summit of Mount Hermon—referred to as its “crown”—down to the tripoint border where Syria, Jordan, and Israel meet, the statement added.
Following the collapse of the Bashar Assad regime in December amid a Sunni jihadist-led uprising, Israel took control of portions of the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. The move was aimed at creating a security buffer to protect Israeli territory from hostile elements operating in the Syrian power vacuum.
During a visit to the Syrian Hermon in January, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared: “The IDF will remain at the summit of the Hermon and the security zone indefinitely to ensure the security of the communities of the Golan Heights and the north, as well as all the residents of Israel.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that he will not permit forces loyal to Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani—a former Al-Qaeda terrorist—to deploy in the area south of Damascus.
Dorothy Shea, the acting U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said earlier this month that al-Sharaa’s government ought to “begin discussions with Israel on a non-aggression agreement and subsequently begin border dispute resolution discussions.”
Al-Sharaa “should take necessary steps to ban and deport Palestinian terror groups,” as well as cooperate with relevant agencies on chemical and nuclear-weapons issues, the U.S. envoy added.
Earlier this month, Syrian terrorists launched two rockets toward the Israeli side of the Golan Heights. Both projectiles landed in open areas, causing no injuries or damage, according to Israeli authorities.
The attack, which triggered air-raid sirens in the communities of Hispin and Ramat Magshimim, was the first rocket attack launched from Syrian territory since May 2024.
Katz directly held al-Sharaa’s regime accountable for the rocket fire, stating that Jerusalem views the Syrian president as “directly responsible for any threat and firing toward the State of Israel,” and warned that a “full response will come soon.”
