Israel Confirms July Ground Raid on Southern Syria

There have been reports circulating for some time about Israeli commandos conducting ground operations inside southern Syria. Today, Israel confirmed one of those operations just a few months ago, in which commandos captured a Syrian citizen.

The raid took place in July, and the man captured was identified as Ali Soleiman al-Assi, who was from the southern village of Saida in the Daraa governate. He was captured in the nearby Quneitra Governate.

With news of the raid being made public, Assi’s reported identity has been substantially changed. He was initially reported as a man who drove a milk delivery truck in Damascus. Now he’s being accused of watching Israeli military positions in the occupied Golan Heights, and doing so on behalf of Iran.

Even that claim seems to be further embellished by Israeli media outlets, who are presenting him as an Iranian spy. Israeli media also claimed that he was personally under surveillance by them for months before the raid.

Pro-government Syrian radio Sham FM also reported on the incident today, describing it as a kidnapping operation. Assi’s fate isn’t entirely clear, though Israel reported that he was initially taken for interrogation.

Israel has been conducting air strikes against Syria for years, and the number of such strikes has been on the rise in recent weeks alongside the escalation everywhere else. This is the first official confirmation of a ground operation in Syria though, and that may be substantial if these sorts of incidents continue in the future.