IOF further infiltrate Syria's southern Quneitra countryside
3 Min Read
Israeli occupation forces advanced into several villages in the southern Quneitra countryside, while clashes erupted in the eastern Aleppo countryside between the Turkish-affiliated National Army and the SDF.
-
Israeli armored vehicles park on the side of a road in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on December 22, 2024. (AP)
On Wednesday, the Israeli occupation forces continued their assault on Syrian territory, with a tank column advancing into the villages of al-Asha, Abu Ghara, and Mazraat al-Hiran in the southern Quneitra countryside.
In a separate development, clashes broke out between factions of the National Army, which is aligned with Turkiye, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) near the Tishreen Dam in the eastern countryside of Aleppo.
The SDF said that Turkiye launched airstrikes on the Tishreen Dam and its surrounding areas, while Turkish-affiliated factions also attacked villages north of the dam and southeast of Manbij.
The SDF forces reported intense clashes between the Manbij Military Council and pro-Turkish militants, highlighting a Turkish raid on the Karak area, which coincided with Turkish artillery shelling of the village of Aslanki, located south of Ain al-Arab (Kobani).
Read next: 'Israel', Turkiye expand influence in post-Assad Syria: Bloomberg
A Turkish drone attacked a vehicle belonging to the SDF forces near the city of al-Malikiyah, located northeast of al-Hasakah in the far northeast of Syria.
The Associated Press cited an Israeli official, speaking anonymously two days ago, stating, "The Israeli army will remain in the area it has taken control of until it is convinced that the new Syrian authorities do not pose a threat to Israel."
The occupation forces illegally occupied the area, which lies within the UN-controlled buffer zone in the Golan Heights established under the 1974 ceasefire agreement between Syria and "Israel", shortly after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024.
Israeli forces occupied several areas in southern Syria while simultaneously bombing and destroying the Syrian army's military infrastructure and research centers.
Syria is free, 'Israel' get out
A main road in the provincial capital of Quneitra, located in southern Syria, was blocked by piles of dirt, toppled palm trees, and a metal pole that seemed to have once been a traffic light. Beyond the barricades, an Israeli tank could be seen maneuvering down the street.
Israeli invading units entered the area—part of a UN-monitored buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights, created by a 1974 ceasefire between Syria and "Israel"—shortly after President Bashar Assad’s fall last month.
The Israeli military has also made incursions beyond the buffer zone into Syrian territory, provoking protests from residents, who reported that Israeli invading forces have demolished homes and prevented farmers from accessing their fields in certain areas. On at least two occasions, Israeli troops opened fire on protesters.
Residents of Quneitra, a rural region filled with small villages and olive groves, expressed frustration over both the ongoing Israeli advances and the inaction from Syria's new leadership as well as the international community, according to the Associated Press.
