The IDF revealed the identity of a Syrian Army officer in charge of observing Israel on the Syrian Golan Heights on Israel’s border, who was helping Hezbollah’s activities in the buffer zone between the two countries.
Identified as Naqib Bashar al-Hussein, a resident of the village of Ekrima in his 30s, he serves as a company commander in the intelligence branch of the Syrian Army’s 90th brigade, but de facto serves as the “main link” between Hezbollah’s Southern Command and the Syrian Army’s 1st Corps.
Hussein is responsible for the lookouts along the border with Israel, for the analysis of their findings and other various patrols along the border. Some of his patrols were conducted in the buffer zone which, according to the armistice agreements with Israel in 1974, are off-limits for Syrian troops, the IDF said.
#عاجل كشف النقاب عن النقيب بشار الحسين، نقيب في #الجيش_السوري وقائد سرية الاستطلاع في اللواء 90، من سكان حي عكرمة الواقع في #حمص، والذي يعد بمثابة خلية صلة الوصل بين قيادة الجنوب التابعة لحزب الله والفيلق الأول للجيش السوري pic.twitter.com/fLn7lhEQ4D
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 25, 2021
As part of his job, he also accompanied different Hezbollah operatives and coordinated the upkeep of lookout posts belonging to Hezbollah and sometimes even Iran.
Hezbollah often uses the results of the observation posts operated by Hussein, the IDF claimed, saying that he and the SAA’s 90th Brigade “works in cooperation with Hezbollah and Iran, taking advantage of the difficult conditions in southern Syria and cynically abusing the locals.”
Since Syrian troops recaptured southern Syria and returned to their positions, Hezbollah and Iranian-backed troops have deployed to the area. According to a report by the ALMA Research and Education Center, there are 58 locations belonging to the group in the southern Syrian provinces of Quneitra and Dara’a.
According to the report released last year, there are 28 locations with Hezbollah forces deployed as part of the Southern Command unit and another 30 locations where there is a presence of cells operating under the Golan Project.
The Golan Project is under the command of Ali Mussa Daqduq and has its headquarters in Damascus and the Lebanese capital Beirut. Close to 30 cells with tens of operatives collecting intelligence on Israel and military movements are in the Syrian towns of Hadar, Quneitra and Erneh.
Hezbollah’s Southern Command, led by Munir Ali Na’im Shaiti, is the Hezbollah unit in charge of southern Syria whose main function is to create a Hezbollah infrastructure in the area and not only gather intelligence on the IDF but train the Syrian Arab Army 1rst Corps for war with Israel.
The IDF has identified other Syrian Arab Army officers who they accuse of working with Hezbollah: Bashar Hussein, the commander of the Reconnaissance and Observation company in the 90th brigade in the Syrian Arab Army; Jawad Hashem, the son of Munir Shaito (also known as Haj Hashem) who is the commander of the head of the group’s operations on the Golan; and Hussein Hamoush, the commander of the 90th Brigade.
Israel has repeatedly warned that it would not tolerate Tehran’s efforts to establish a permanent military presence in the Syrian Golan and has admitted to hundreds of strikes against targets belonging to Iran and its proxy Hezbollah.
“IDF forces monitor what is happening on the other side of the border and any person who tries to harm the security of the State of Israel and its citizens,” the Israeli military warned. “The Syrian regime is responsible for all activities carried out on its territory against the State of Israel.”