Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is placing restrictions on Hezbollah and other pro-Iranian militias active in Syria as he fears its territory could be used to launch attacks on Israel. This was reported by activists from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, explaining that the decision was taken “in agreement with the Russians” out of fear that Syria would be dragged into the war against Israel. Assad also fears new Israeli attacks on Syria, the latest of which was launched this morning against the city of Latakia causing the wounding of two civilians and material damage, as reported by the Ministry of Defense in Damascus.
Activists explain that the regime in Damascus has issued military orders to limit Hezbollah and other pro-Iranian militias in villages near Damascus and Homs, including the Homs desert, which could be used to launch drones against Israel. Sources cited by the NGO on condition of anonymity said that men from the Damascus regime were inspecting cars with Lebanese license plates and checking people arriving from Lebanon, for fear that Syrian territory could be used to attack Israel.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights explained that «thousands of pro-Iranian militiamen, including those of Hezbollah, are in Syria and that Israel could take advantage of their presence to strike and drag Syria into a war in which no one has any interest”. The sources also said that the Syrian army’s fourth division, under the command of Bashar al-Assad’s brother Maher, had given strict orders not to attack the Golan Heights and “trigger” the conflict with Israel. Furthermore, the checkpoints are keeping Syrian regime forces about 15 kilometers away from the border with Israel. Russian forces are also positioned at 17 points along the border to reduce friction. Finally, the sites of pro-Iranian militias are patrolled by joint Syrian and Russian forces in various locations in Syria, in order to “keep an eye on them”, say the activists.
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