Israeli forces detain "Iranian" cell in Syria
Israeli forces conducted a cross-border operation in southern Syria, detaining what they described as an 'Iran-directed sabotage cell,' the military spokesperson stated on Wednesday.
According to the statement, troops entered the areas of Umm al-Luqos and Ein al-Basili overnight, claiming the arrest of several individuals, and the discovery of "weapons and grenades".
"The group had been activated by Iranian elements, citing intelligence obtained in recent weeks," the spokesperson said, adding that the operation aimed to counter their "attempts to entrench themselves" in Syria near the Golan Heights, which remains classified as occupied Syrian territory under international law.
#عاجل 🔴في إطار عملية خاصة في الجنوب السوري: قوة تابعة لجيش الدفاع تقبض على خلية إيرانية من المخربين⭕️نفذت قوات اللواء 474 التابع للفرقة 210 الليلة الماضية عملية خاصة للقبض على خلية من المخربين تم تحريكها من قبل إيران في منطقة أم اللوقس وعين البصلي التي في الجنوب السوري، وذلك… pic.twitter.com/Uq37zR08CY
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) July 2, 2025
This is not Israel's first incursion into southern Syria this year. In March, troops entered the buffer zone after clashes with militants, and in April, a deeper raid inflicted unspecified casualties near Nawa, according to Syria's state media, though normalization between the two sides is reportedly on the horizon.
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