Israel detains suspected Iranian operative during military operation in Syria

Israel carried out a ground operation in Syria and apprehended an individual believed to be an Iranian operative gathering intelligence on Israeli troops near the border, as announced by the Israeli military on Sunday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) named the individual they captured as Ali Soleiman al-Assi, a Syrian citizen from Saida in the south of Syria.

The IDF mentioned that the seizure was part of a special operation that occurred in recent months, without specifying the exact timing.

“The operation conducted by Israel Defense Forces soldiers to detain al-Assi thwarted a potential attack and exposed the operational methods of Iranian terror networks near the Golan Heights,” stated the Israeli military.

After months of surveillance, al-Assi was brought to Israel for further investigation, the statement confirmed.

Body camera footage released by the IDF depicted soldiers capturing a man wearing a white tank top inside a building.

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Israel has carried out airstrikes in Syria numerous times in the past year, targeting members of Hezbollah in Lebanon as well as Iranian officials, allies of both Hezbollah and Syria.

This marks the first known ground operation by Israeli troops in Syria during the current conflict.

No confirmation has been provided by Damascus regarding the incursion, but a pro-Assad radio station reported that Israel had conducted a “kidnapping operation” in southern Syria over the summer.

Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes in government-controlled areas of Syria in recent years, often targeting Syrian forces or Iranian-backed groups.

Last month, Israel carried out aerial strikes in western Syria, targeting a military site in Hama and a car assembly plant in Hassia, as confirmed by the defense ministry in Damascus.

Additionally, strikes in central Syria in September resulted in casualties and damage, according to reports by Syrian state news agency SANA.

Israel has pledged to prevent Iranian entrenchment in Syria, particularly due to its role as a key conduit for Iran to supply weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Hezbollah has been engaged in clashes with Israeli forces, amidst the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza over the last 11 months.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while visiting the border with Lebanon, emphasized the need to prevent Hezbollah from rearming using Iranian weapons transferred through Syria.

Israel’s airstrikes in Lebanon have resulted in casualties, with Hezbollah’s rocket attacks claiming lives in Israel.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces are engaged in combat in northern Gaza against regrouped Hamas fighters.

With the expansion of ground operations into Syria, Israeli troops are now active in Lebanon, Iran, and Syria, in addition to Gaza.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.