‘Israeli’ occupation forces have escalated their activities in southern Syria, continuing their efforts to destabilize the region and threaten Syria’s water security. On the ground, the Israeli military seized control of the Mantara Dam near the village of Umm al-Azam in the Quneitra countryside, a key water resource in the south. This comes alongside sustained aerial bombardment of military sites, including empty warehouses in the Tal al-Shahm area, 30 km southwest of Damascus, and the headquarters of the “15th Brigade” near Inkhel in northern Daraa.

Informed sources revealed to Al-Akhbar that “Israel’s” actions are part of a broader strategy unfolding on three main fronts. First, the Israeli army aims to establish a buffer zone along the borders with Syria, expanding its presence to 14 fixed points across Quneitra and Daraa following the breakdown of the 1974 disengagement agreement. Second, “Israel” is focusing on the total destruction of Syria’s military infrastructure. The third track involves controlling vital water resources, including the Al-Wahda Dam, Al-Raqqad Dam, and the Western Al-Bakkar Dam, which provide crucial supplies to Syria and Jordan. Israeli patrols continue to monitor water sources in Druze-majority villages, further endangering the region’s water security.

The Israeli forces also exerted pressure on local military personnel, as reported by Al-Akhbar sources from the city of Al-Baath. An Israeli patrol detained members of Syria’s “Military Operations Administration”, interrogating them and preventing Palestinian recruits from being deployed in the region. The occupation forces imposed harsh measures on civilians, including two detainees arrested from agricultural lands in the Zero Zone near the old buffer strip. These detainees were subjected to humiliating treatment, forced to undress and deliver messages warning local farmers that their access to land would be restricted by Israeli military personnel.

Alongside these military operations, southern Syria has been experiencing significant instability. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, 69 Syrians have been killed, including 33 civilians. Of these, 10 deaths were caused by artillery and Israeli shelling, while others perished in internal clashes or stray bullets. Security remains volatile, as clashes near Daraa city on Wednesday-Thursday night with Jordanian border guards resulted in three Syrian deaths and several injuries while attempting to cross into northern Jordan.

Al Akhbar report

The entire Western world and its fascist/ terrorist supporters conspire to grant “security” to the expansionist colonial settler occupation.