The Israeli army announces the arrest of cells affiliated with the Iranian Quds Force in Syria
The Israeli army announced on Friday the execution of a series of military operations in Syrian territory that resulted in the arrest of elements belonging to the special operations unit 840 of the Iranian Quds Force, according to a statement issued by the official military spokesperson.
The spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichai Adraee, stated in a detailed statement published on the "X" platform: "Israeli forces arrested cells that were activated by the special operations unit 840 of the Iranian Quds Force in Syria over the past months." He added that "these cells were directed by unit 840 to carry out terrorist operations against Israel."
Adraee explained that the elements who were arrested were "transferred to Israel for interrogation," noting that during the months of March and April, two members of unit 840 were arrested in Syria: Zaidan Al-Tawil and Muhammad Al-Karyan.
The statement also revealed another operation that led to the arrest of cells "activated on behalf of unit 840 by the Lebanese Qassem Salah Al-Husseini and Muhammad Shaib, who were eliminated last month in Lebanon," pointing out that they were "among the most influential elements in the arms smuggling axis from Iran to the West Bank and the northern front."
According to the statement, investigations with the detainees revealed that "some of them were unaware of who they were working for," explaining that their recruitment was "often done without revealing the true motives of the unit and through financial bribery."
Adraee also claimed that the Iranian Quds Force "exploits the conditions of Lebanese and Syrians to recruit them through deception and bribery to carry out terrorist operations that endanger their lives."
In the context of related operations, the spokesperson noted that Israeli forces attacked "camps belonging to the Syrian army in the eastern part of the country that were used by this unit."
The statement concluded by emphasizing that "the Israeli army and the Shin Bet will continue their decisive actions against unit 840 and all Iranian axis arms."
This announcement comes in the context of the ongoing Israeli military escalation in Syria, which has seen a noticeable intensification since the recent political changes in the country. Israel continues to carry out strikes on various sites, including the capital Damascus, as its forces advance southward, crossing the buffer zone and expanding towards Quneitra Governorate.
Israeli forces have also established new centers within Syrian borders in the south and carried out a landing operation near Mount Al-Mani south of Damascus in late August.
This military activity continues despite ongoing negotiations between the two sides for months aimed at resolving the crisis in southern Syria and calming the conflict, as Israel has vowed to "strike anything that threatens its security."
