'Israel' occupied 440 sq km of Syrian territory to date
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Civil sources in Homs, central Syria, told Al Mayadeen that 11 cases of forced disappearances have been recorded, affecting members of minority sects and ethnic groups.
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An Israeli army vehicle transports soldiers into the UN-patrolled buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights, on December 18, 2024 (AFP)
"Israel" has occupied approximately 440 square kilometers of Syrian territory to date, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported on Wednesday.
The most significant aggression is the Israeli occupation of the Yarmouk Basin and the al-Wehda Dam, located between Syrian and Lebanese territories, our correspondent highlighted.
He indicated that the Israeli occupation military is now just 12 kilometers away from the international highway connecting Damascus to the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and pointed out that over the past week, the Israeli occupation launched around 450 airstrikes targeting approximately 50 Syrian military sites.
Local Syrian sources told Al Mayadeen that the Israeli occupation forces continue to infiltrate archaeological sites in Quneitra, with reports of archaeologists entering in Israeli military uniforms.
The sources reported an Israeli incursion from Tel Akasha in the occupied Golan toward the historical town of Breqa in the al-Quneitra countryside.
According to our correspondent in Syria, tensions are escalating in the Ain al-Arab (Kobani) District in northern Syria between the Turkish-backed so-called Syrian National Army militants and the Kurdish-led US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
11 cases of forced disappearances
Civil sources in Homs, central Syria, told Al Mayadeen that 11 cases of forced disappearances have been recorded, affecting members of minority sects and ethnic groups.
According to the sources, the missing youths are former conscripts in the Syrian army's mandatory service during the era of the former regime.
The sources told Al Mayadeen that some abductees were taken while on their way to centers established for regularizing the status of former military personnel.
Families of the missing individuals reviewed the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group for inquiry, which condemned the incidents, the sources said, adding that the group promised families to investigate the matter and pledged to identify those responsible for the abductions.
It is worth noting that the new Operations Administration has provided assurances to minority groups and addressed reported violations.
In a related context, sources from villages, towns, and within the city of Homs reported incidents of break-ins targeting shops and residential homes by masked individuals patrolling the villages at night.
The sources said that these individuals were dressed in military attire and claimed to belong to factions affiliated with the Military Operations Administration, though no one has verified the legitimacy of these claims.
Syria's main airports resume operations
In a separate context, Syria's main airports have resumed operations for the first time since the fall of the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
On Wednesday morning, passengers boarded a 24-year-old Airbus SE A320 for a domestic flight from Damascus to Aleppo. Meanwhile, Royal Jordanian Airlines navigated Syrian airspace on a flight to Beirut, as reported by Flightradar.
Read more: UN envoy says Syria conflict not over; SC urges 'inclusive' process
