Syrian Forces Arrest Hezbollah-Linked Cell and Seize Rocket Launchers Near Southern Border

Syrian security forces have successfully apprehended a three-man cell associated with the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, dismantling their rocket launchers in the southern Yarmouk river basin.

This strategic area, situated near the occupied Golan Heights, has experienced a surge in Israeli incursions throughout the year. Israeli troops crossed into southern Syria and regions west of Damascus, occupying parts of these territories shortly after militant forces led by current President Ahmad Al Shara ousted the Assad regime in December 2024.

According to the official news agency Sana, the three individuals were implicated in a Hezbollah sabotage plot within the Yarmouk river basin, and the seized launchers were completely dismantled. The operation stemmed from precise surveillance of the cell's attempts to prepare rocket launchers and execute attacks, although the specific target was not disclosed. The report provided only the initials of the three suspects without revealing their nationalities.

The General Intelligence Directorate published photographs depicting Syrian security forces handling the confiscated weaponry, describing the action as a pre-emptive measure that thwarted the Iran-backed militia. During the tenure of former president Bashar Al Assad, Hezbollah and other pro-Iranian factions had established proxies on the Syrian-controlled side of the Yarmouk river basin. Following the outbreak of the 2023 Gaza war, the basin served as a launch site for Iranian-supplied rockets directed at Israeli troops in the Golan.

Nonetheless, relentless Israeli attacks in Lebanon and Syria significantly diminished Hezbollah's capabilities, leading to the withdrawal of most of its forces from Syria by the end of 2024 and paving the way for the Assad regime's fall. Last month, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that the Israeli army conducts daily operations to neutralize threats, eliminate remnants of the old regime, prevent the dangerous consolidation of the new regime, and safeguard Israeli communities and borders.

Meanwhile, the US, which supports Syria's current rulers, has overseen multiple meetings between Israeli and Syrian officials aimed at negotiating a peace agreement. These discussions have focused on halting Israeli attacks on Syria and facilitating the return of Israeli forces to the 1974 armistice line adjacent to the Golan, a strategic plateau occupied by Israel for nearly six decades.