Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on August 1, 2021

On Thursday reports claimed that some Syrian insurgents or rebels had clashed with the regime in Tasil, only five kms. from the Golan Heights and the ceasefire lines with Israel.

If the situation deteriorates it could have major ramifications for Israel and Jordan as well as for the Syrian regime and pro-Iran elements, such as Hezbollah, that have cells and bases near the Golan.

The Syrian regime retook areas in Deraa and near the Golan in 2018 after seven years of civil war. The southern front was a largely stable frontline for years but the Syrian rebels collapsed quickly and Syrian civil defense volunteers, called White Helmets, were evacuated through Israel to Jordan in July 2018.

A year later pro-Iran elements linked to Hezbollah set up shop near the Golan and even prepared killer drones that they intended to use against Israel which carried out airstrikes in late August 2019 against the drone squad.

cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: '36af7c51-0caf-4741-9824-2c941fc6c17b' }).render('4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6'); });

Other tensions dominate as well. While some former rebels came over to the regime and now act like local warlords or power-brokers, there are also Russians in southern Syria who came as part of a deal to help make the transition more palatable.

Former rebel Ahmad al-Audeh, for instance, accepted Russias terms and joined the Russian-backed Syrian regime 5th Corps and even headed its 8th brigade. At the same time there are tensions in the area with the powerful Druze minority in Jebel Druze and the Hauran areas. The Druze have generally supported the regime out of fear of jihadists and extremists among ISIS and the rebels. ISIS used to control areas near the southern Golan.

Pro-rebel accounts say that so-called former rebels have re-taken or liberated Tasil and other areas now. The tweets say they have taken Syrian soldiers prisoner, who they describe as men who work with the regime. Pictures posted online allegedly show the Syrian rebels with their boots on a photo of Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad.

The Assad regime presides over a divided Syria. Northern Syria is occupied by Turkey and has extremist groups like HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) in Idlib and the newly US-sanctioned Ahrar al-Sharqiya. Meanwhile, in eastern Syria the US-backed SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) control a vast area, including areas liberated from ISIS in 2018. The regime controls Damascus, Homs, Hama, Aleppo and key cities such as Deir Ezzor.

Pro-Iranian groups dominate the area from Albukamal and T-4 base in Syria. This patchwork of control also includes Russian forces in Latakia. Recent reports said Russia was concerned about Israeli airstrikes in Syria. The Syrian regime wants an end to sanctions and to increase its largely gutted economy. It wants to work with China and other countries. Meanwhile, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and the Gulf states have considered more normalization with the Syrian regime. Fighting in Deraa will raise concerns in Jordan.

Israel provided aid and support to Syrians near the border from 2011 until the regime retook the area. Israel has demanded that Iran not retrench in Syria and that anti-Israel groups like Hezbollah and militias linked to Iran not set up bases near the Golan.

In the past some Hezbollah members linked to the Golan file of Hezbollah have met with accidents in some parts of southern Syria or border areas. In one case Hezbollah blamed Israel for an airstrike near the Lebanon-Syria border and vowed revenge. Hezbollah has done this several times in the last two years, cutting holes in the border fence in April 2020. In 2019 it fired an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) at Israeli forces.

Russia has allegedly sent a delegation to southern Syria to try to broker quiet in the area. Syrias regime has sent tanks according to other accounts. Those who follow the Syrian rebels appear to think this latest round of fighting is more serious than in the past.

In the past a group linked to ISIS, called Jaysh Khalid, controlled areas between Tasil and the Golan border. It is unclear if those ISIS cells that once existed, and which were pounded and destroyed by the regime in 2018, could also pop up again.

Read the original here:

Reports of clashes in Southern Syria near Israels Golan - The Jerusalem Post

Category: Israel
Tags: