Damascus Cracks Down on Southern Factions, Bans Resistance to "Israel"

Hayyan Darwish

"Israel" is tightening its grip on southern Syria, moving heavy armor to Mount Hermon and accelerating construction of a so-called “security fence” inside the disengagement zone—once a border before the collapse of Assad’s regime. It is also reinforcing positions deep inside Syrian territory, creating a de facto “buffer zone” that stretches into Quneitra and Daraa. On Tuesday, Israeli trucks delivered logistical support to outposts in the south.

This escalation followed a Monday night raid in Qahtaniyah, where Israeli troops stormed a school, nearby buildings, and farmland. Earlier, they raided the villages of al-Asbah and al-Ashah, and on Sunday, fired at shepherds near Jbata al-Khashab—tactics reminiscent of past occupations, now repackaged as “security operations.”

Residents of Hadar told Al-Akhbar that Israeli patrols along the disengagement line have surged, coinciding with the formation of armed cells in central and southern Quneitra. These groups see resistance as a necessary response to Damascus’s silence and refusal to acknowledge "Israel’s" daily breaches—citing a desire to avoid escalation as justification.

Similar pressure is unfolding in Daraa. Local sources in Nawa report that Syrian authorities are coercing factions—via tribal mediators and defense officials—to surrender weapons and refrain from confronting "Israel". Still, some groups are entrenching themselves on Tal al-Jumou’, a strategic hill overlooking Nawa, rejecting government plans to absorb them. Their defiance follows an April 2 clash with Israeli forces at the same outpost.

Meanwhile, Israeli drones maintain daily surveillance over Damascus’s northern and western outskirts. Former military bases now host poorly equipped “new forces,” reduced to a symbolic guard role.

In an unexpected move, Syrian engineering units—escorted by defense ministry forces—detonated an old minefield in the Yarmouk Basin near the Israeli al-Jazeera outpost. There was no Israeli response. Tribal sources say this silence suggests coordination—or at least consent—by the Israeli army, which had previously fired on anyone nearing the area.

On Mount Hermon, "Israel" is expanding its permanent presence. A full brigade is expected to be stationed on the Syrian side. A new helicopter base has already been completed, and IDF Staff Chief Eyal Zamir visited the outpost Sunday with senior commanders. “From here, we monitor everything,” Zamir said, calling the mountain “strategically critical” due to Syria’s collapse.

Back in Damascus, Israeli drones continue to circle the skies near key government areas—including the Presidential Palace, home to transitional president Ahmad al-Sharaa. Despite Damascus’s attempts to placate Israeli and US demands—by pulling heavy arms from the south and cracking down on factions—Israeli surveillance intensifies. Even Palestinian groups have been targeted: two Islamic Jihad leaders were recently arrested.