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With Russian Backing, Syrian Regime Forces Inch Closer to Israel Border

A screengrab of the meeting between Syrian intelligence chief Husam Louka and Russian officers in Tafas.
A screengrab of the meeting between Syrian intelligence chief Husam Louka and Russian officers in Tafas.
    Daraa, London – Riyad al-Zein and Asharq Al-Awsat
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With Russian Backing, Syrian Regime Forces Inch Closer to Israel Border

A screengrab of the meeting between Syrian intelligence chief Husam Louka and Russian officers in Tafas.
A screengrab of the meeting between Syrian intelligence chief Husam Louka and Russian officers in Tafas.

Syrian regime forces entered on Thursday the city of Tafas in western Daraa in Syria’s south, bringing them closer to the border with Israel.

The move is part of a “settlement” sponsored by Russian officers deployed at the Hmeimim base in Syria. The deal was struck between the Fourth Armored Division, led by president Bashar Assad’s brother Maher, and opposition factions.

Witnesses told the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that regime forces entered some neighborhoods of Tafas on Thursday in line with the Russian agreement.

A video of the meeting, held in Tafas, showed Russian officers and head of Syrian general intelligence Husam Louka. One officer urged the residents of Tafas to “cooperate with the police and state” to ensure that life returns to normal. Louka, for his part, hailed the residents for “welcoming the Syrian Arab army.”

The agreement, struck overnight on Monday, calls for allowing regime and Fourth Armored Division forces to search houses and farms in and around Tafas, starting Tuesday. The operation would be overseen by the locals to ensure that no violations are committed against civilians.

It also called for resuming work at government buildings and institutions that are affiliated with the regime and releasing 58 prisoners held in regime jails. Former opposition fighters, in turn, are required to withdraw from “government” headquarters in the region. Warplanes soon took to the air over the region in a message to the former fighters.

Separately, local sources revealed that investigations are underway with people who were arrested on suspicion of drugs smuggling.

They were detained by the Russian-backed Fifth Corps amid a spike in drugs smuggling in the southern region.

The Eighth Division of the corps announced that suspects were being interrogated over their knowledge of a smuggling network that is affiliated with members in Jordan and other countries.

The division has been cracking down on the phenomenon, uncovering drugs stored at warehouses and farms located near the border and arresting people for their possession of drugs.

In most cases, the smugglers are affiliated with security sides, such as the Fourth Armored Division and intelligence branches. The regime has been pressuring for the release of some detainees.

Preliminary investigations with the detainees revealed that the Lebanese Hezbollah party, an ally of the regime, is the main source of the drugs, said the division. The drugs are brought in from the Hezbollah-controlled al-Qalamoun region and then sent to Daraa, Damascus and Sweida.

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Baghdad Urges Washington to Prevent ‘Imminent’ Israeli Strikes

Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
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Baghdad Urges Washington to Prevent ‘Imminent’ Israeli Strikes

Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Thursday called on major powers to “exert greater efforts to end the war in Palestine and Lebanon.” Meanwhile, an Iraqi government official urged the United States to “prevent any attacks on the country,” referring to potential Israeli strikes.
During a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Al-Sudani stressed the importance of ensuring the conflict does not escalate “to a level that threatens regional and global stability.”
The Iraqi prime minister’s appeal comes amid reports suggesting that Israel may launch strikes on Iraq in retaliation for attacks by Iraqi armed factions targeting Israeli positions.
The Iraqi government is striving to assert its exclusive authority over weapons and war-related decisions. However, armed factions affiliated with the Axis of Resistance openly claim responsibility for near-daily rocket attacks on Israel. This has provided Israel with a justification for potentially targeting Iraqi territory, especially after it filed a complaint with the UN Security Council against six Iraqi factions and held Baghdad responsible for the attacks.
These factions have also openly declared their involvement in the ongoing conflict with Israel in Lebanon and Gaza. The Iraqi government has been unable to take decisive action to halt the activities of these factions, which many believe could soon expose Iraq to an Israeli strike.
According to media reports, Washington has warned Baghdad that Israeli airstrikes on Iraq are “imminent” unless the Iraqi government curtails attacks by Iranian-backed factions on Israel. The Times of Israel cited sources indicating that the United States has “exhausted all means of pressure on Israel” and urged Iraq to act swiftly to prevent such attacks.
Despite repeated assurances from the Iraqi government—including its recent adoption of 12 measures by the National Security Council to counter Israeli threats and complaints—the situation remains tense. These measures include monitoring Iraq’s western borders, preventing factions from launching attacks, and maintaining Iraq’s neutrality in the ongoing conflict.
On Wednesday, Abu Hussein Al-Hamidawi, Secretary-General of Kata’ib Hezbollah, made a striking statement on the role of resistance factions in the war and their commitment to the Unity of Fronts doctrine frequently mentioned by Axis of Resistance groups.
In an interview published by the faction’s media arm, Al-Hamidawi said: “The continuity of the Unity of Fronts concept depends on what the Lebanese Hezbollah decides.”
Al-Hamidawi also emphasized that resistance factions are constantly coordinating internally and with external partners such as Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Palestinian resistance leaders.
“We aim to ensure that the Palestinian people are not left alone and that the Unity of Fronts remains intact,” he stated.
Fadi Al-Shammari, a political advisor to Sudani, reiterated that Israel’s threats “are not new,” citing the recent complaint filed by Israel with the UN Security Council as part of its pattern of issuing threats.
In media statements, Al-Shammari reaffirmed the Iraqi government’s long-standing position: “The decision of war and peace lies solely with the Iraqi government.”
He noted that the factions’ attacks are being launched from areas outside Iraq’s borders, specifically from Syria. However, he stressed that the Iraqi government is working through its security and military agencies to prevent Iraq from becoming a battlefield for external or internal parties.
Al-Shammari also called on the United States to fulfill its responsibilities under the Strategic Framework Agreement and security pact with Iraq, emphasizing the need to deter and respond to any external attacks that threaten Iraq’s internal security.