Israeli incursions into southwest Syria continued today, with some reports of incursions into the Quneitra Governorate but substantially more reported in and around western Daraa, where multiple detentions were reported.
A young man who was reported captured in Quneitra near the border with the occupied Golan Heights on Monday. After more than 24 hours in captivity, he was released unharmed in the same area.
Another detention was reported on Wednesday in nearby Daraa Governorate. A 38-year-old man from Maariyah identified as Ihsan Khalaf Hamad was detained near Jamlah where he was hunting birds. He was released after a few hours and returned to his family in good health.
An Israeli military vehicle near al-Mantarah Dam | Image from SOHR
Israeli troops have been operating around Maariyah and Jamlah in growing numbers in recent weeks. The villages are in western Daraa, not far from the Jordan border. It remains unclear why Israel is so increasingly interested in this particular area, though they have launched more operations similarly all along the frontier with what was once the demilitarized zone.
Israeli troops in vehicles also advanced into the area near al-Mantarah Dam, an important water reservoir in Quneitra Governorate. The troops only stayed briefly, and withdrew without explanation, according to the Syrian state media.
Though official IDF statements surrounding their operations within Syria are few and far between, the troops have shown increasing interest toward the key water sources in the agriculture heavy area, often operating in and around the Yarmouk River Basin. Though this has raised obvious concerns about their ambitions to control the area, so far those operations tend to involve entering the area, maybe establishing a very temporary checkpoint to accost locals, and then returning to Israeli-held territory.
