Israel builds nine military bases, infrastructure in Syria

The Israeli army has constructed nine military bases along the “buffer zone” inside occupied southern Syria extending from Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights to the border triangle in the south, Israel’s Army Radio said on Tuesday.

Israel occupied two areas in the Syria-Jordan-Israel border triangle following the fall of the regime of Bashar Al-Assad, in addition to the occupied Golan Heights.

Army Radio said that two military sites have been built in Mount Hermon and seven others in the buffer zone inside the occupied Syrian territories since last December, including residential buildings and a synagogue. According to the report, soldiers from Israel’s 890th Battalion are using the Syrian army’s infrastructure as well as trenches and guard posts and patrolling the occupied area.

The station claimed that Syrian citizens, including shepherds, are allowed to move in certain areas and cultivate their lands with the Israeli army’s permission.

It also said that the Israeli army is in contact with the Syrian residents there “through local representatives” and had installed barrels to demarcate the borders of the area it had occupied, and the areas that citizens are prohibited to enter. The army has also set up checkpoints at the entrances to Syrian villages.

According to the report, some of the local population are Sunnis and Palestinians. It said that the Israeli army is “concerned” about the possible presence of Hamas militants or new armed groups, but no such groups have emerged so far. The army claimed to have attacked a Hamas weapons depot in the area last week.

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