Israeli Forces Detain Iranian Operative In Syria Gathering Intel On Border

Israeli troops recently detained an individual in Syria, whom they identified as an Iranian operative gathering intelligence on Israeli troops in the border area, the Israeli military said on Sunday. The military named the person as Ali Soleiman al-Assi, a Syrian citizen from the area of Saida in southern Syria. It stated that the operation took place in recent months but did not provide an exact date.

"The operation by Israel Defence Forces troops to detain al-Assi prevented a future attack and led to the exposure of the operational methods of Iranian terror networks located near the Golan Heights," the military added. Al-Assi was brought to Israel for investigation, according to the military.

The army did not disclose the exact location or timing of the operation in Syria. 

According to the military, he had been monitored for several months and was linked to Iranian efforts aimed at regions of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights near the Syrian border. Body camera footage from the operation, released by the military, showed soldiers apprehending a man wearing a white tank top inside a building. The military confirmed that the man was taken to Israel for questioning.

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Israel's Defense Forces on Sunday announced that they had conducted a special ground operation in Syria 'in recent months'.

Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes on government-controlled areas in war-torn Syria over the past few years, typically targeting Syrian forces or Iranian-backed groups, though it seldom acknowledges these operations. Last month, the Israeli military carried out aerial attacks in western Syria, according to the Syrian defence ministry, which reported that the strikes struck a military facility in Hama and a car assembly plant in Hassia.

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Israeli forces have persisted in their operations in Gaza, where a recent airstrike in Khan Younis resulted in the deaths of at least eight Palestinians, among them four children and a woman. The Gaza Health Ministry's emergency services reported the casualties, which were confirmed by Nasser Hospital, the main facility treating the victims.

(Note: Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by Jagran English and has been published through a syndicated feed.)