Syrian army sends reinforcements to Israeli border - report

Arab media reported in September that the Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist group was attempting to bring the Quneitra area located along the Israel-Syria border under its full control.

By TZVI JOFFRE
A Syrian army soldier holds a Syrian flag as he stands on a military vehicle in Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib (photo credit: OMAR SANADIKI/REUTERS)
A Syrian army soldier holds a Syrian flag as he stands on a military vehicle in Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib
(photo credit: OMAR SANADIKI/REUTERS)
The Syrian army sent military reinforcements consisting of tanks, vehicles, soldiers, ammunition and weapons to the towns of Jamlah and Aabdyn near the Syrian border with the Israeli Golan Heights for unknown reasons, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) on Saturday.
Earlier in September, SOHR reported that the Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist group was attempting to bring the Quneitra area located along the Israel-Syria border under its full control and was imposing its control over official establishments and departments in the area, while also recruiting youth and men in the area.
Rebel forces from the area who retreated to Jordan after Syrian forces took control of southern Syria have been holding meetings in order to form a new military body to fight the Syrian forces, reported SOHR in early September. The meetings are still only in the planning and consultation stages with no action on the ground as of yet.
SOHR has also reported about multiple attacks in the area on pro-Iranian and pro-Syrian regime officials and media in recent months, describing the situation as a "continuous state of lawlessness." Citizens in the area continue to fight against regime forces, militiamen and institutions.
On Saturday, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported that Syrian authorities had dropped a drone carrying explosives in the Qunietra area after it had been tracked coming from the west from the direction of Israel.
The IDF's Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee denied that the drone was Israeli on Twitter on Saturday, pointing out that the drone was in the same area where Iranian-backed forces attempted to launch a drone attack on Israel in August.
"What is certain is that this is not an IDF drone," tweeted Adraee.
"Today we have seen proof to the Syrians that [IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani] is doing what he wants in Syria, and of course not telling the Assad regime," added Adraee. "Does it make sense that the right hand does not know what the left hand does?! Is this about additional Iranian explosives operating in an uncoordinated manner in the Syrian part of the Golan?"
On Thursday, SANA reported that the Syrian Army destroyed a drone in the Aqraba area south of Damascus, but did not say who the drone belonged to. The Russian aviation site Avia.pro reported that the drone was Israeli and carrying out an airstrike in the area and was believed to have been destroyed by Russian forces. A video reportedly of the incident showed a large explosion in the skies near Damascus.
In  August, IDF forces struck a cell in the area of Aqraba that Soleimani personally oversaw that was planning to launch a drone attack on Israel.
Anna Ahronheim contributed to this report.