Israeli planes dropped leaflets in areas in the governorates of Qoneitra and Daraa, southern Syria, warning the Syrian army against the consequences of sheltering Hezbollah members.
The leaflets read: “We will not accept the continued presence of Hezbollah at the Tel Al-Hara military base, and the continuation of cooperation in any way… Hezbollah continues to extend its arms in the region and its presence brings disaster and destruction… You will be the first to be harmed.”
A former leader in the opposition factions in the Daraa governorate told Asharq Al-Awsat that since 2018, Tel Al-Hara has been exposed to three Israeli attacks.
The hill, which is located northwest of Daraa governorate, is considered a strategic military site, due to its location, which overlooks the occupied Golan and is only about 15 km away from the border with Israel. It also represents a link between the western countryside of Damascus and the governorates of Daraa and Quneitra.
Tel al-Hara is also a restricted military zone. Before 2018, the area was under the control of the opposition factions. The Syrian regime forces and pro-Iran militias regained control over the hill, in the wake of the settlement agreement in the southern region that was sponsored by Russia.
The former opposition leader pointed to dozens of air raids and missile targeting against military sites in southern Syria since 2018. The Israeli targeting included observation and monitoring points in Qoneitra, and radar and air defense sites in As-Sweida.
However, the main targets, which have been repeatedly bombed, are located in the vicinity of the town of Hader in the northern Qoneitra countryside, along the ceasefire line in the occupied Syrian Golan.
Several sites were targeted in As-Sweida, including the 159th Regiment, Al-Thala Military Airport, and the Al-Dour Battalion, and the radar points in Tal Al-Sahn, Tal Qina, Tal Al-Masih, and Tal Qalib, which were recently bombed on Feb. 18.
Journalist Rayan Maarouf from As-Sweida told Asharq Al-Awsat that the targeted sites in southern Syria mostly contained air defense equipment and military radars. Iran seems to be funding the reconstruction of these sites, he added.
