Syria Ups Military Presence Along Israeli Border

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Damascus has sent additional military assets to the border with Israel for undeclared reasons. The reinforcements reportedly include troops, tanks and advanced weaponry. Earlier this month, the rights group reported that Hizbullah was attempting to consolidate its control over the Quneitra area, located along the Golan Heights frontier. There have been numerous strikes attributed to Israel that have targeted Iranian-sponsored facilities in the area over the past few weeks. Jerusalem has vowed not to allow Tehran and its allies to establish a permanent military presence on the Syrian side of the Golan. Israeli media reported last week that Russian President Vladimir Putin had prevented the IDF from striking positions manned by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, raising speculation that Damascus might be dispatching soldiers to the border as a cover for Iranian activities.