Syria Army Post Takeover Has al-Qaeda on Israeli Frontier

Rare al-Qaeda Victory in Southern Syria

The Syrian military post in Quenitra Governate, along the frontier with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, has fallen to an offensive by Islamist rebels, led by al-Qaeda’s Jabhat al-Nusra.

The Nusra takeover is a rare victory for al-Qaeda along Syria’s south, where they have largely lost out to the military, and also puts al-Qaeda in control of a base close to Israeli territory.

Nusra religious leader Sami al-Aridi gave a high profile speech at the outpost, praising Osama bin Laden and declaring the region the frontline of the fight against the “Zionist-Crusader alliance.”

Israeli officials sought to downplay the takeover, saying the Assad government had treated Golan as a low-priority territory at any rate, and saying Nusra’s takeover of the post doesn’t necessarily mean they are gaining influence in the area.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.