Ізраїльські сухопутні війська відкрито перетнули територію Сирії, пройшовши демілітаризовану прикордонну зону, заявили двоє ізраїльських чиновників, пише УНН з посиланням на в "Нью Йорк Таймс".
Details
According to Israeli officials, for the first time since the October 1973 war, Israeli ground forces crossed the borders of the demilitarized zone on the Israeli-Syrian border.
The deployment of Israeli forces follows a successful push by rebel groups in Syria to remove President Bashar al-Assad from power and flee the country. Thus, it has prompted neighboring states to prepare for greater regional instability.
Israeli forces took control of the mountain peak of Mount Hermon on the Syrian side of the border, as well as several other places that were considered important for stabilizing control of the territory.
The crossing of the borders of the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights was confirmed by the chief of staff of the Israeli forces, Lieutenant General Herzi Galevi. He said that he had sent troops to the territory of Syria, but did not go into details.
Israel has been secretly operating in Syria for years, due to the current conflict with Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group that fought in Syria in support of the ousted Assad government.
Recently, the Israeli military has made it clear that it will strike targets and populations in Syria, claiming that they are targeting Hezbollah's supply lines.
The deployment of ground troops outside the Demilitarized Zone in Syria marks a significant political shift, as this is the first open entry of Israeli military forces into Syrian territory since the 1974 ceasefire agreement, the official end of the last war between Israel and Syria.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered troops to "seize the buffer zone" between Israel and Syria, and said Israeli forces occupied military posts abandoned by Syrian troops, without specifying whether they entered Syrian territory.
We have ordered the Israeli army to seize these positions to ensure that no enemy forces gain a foothold directly near the Israeli border
Avichai Adray, an Israeli military spokesman, declared a curfew in five Syrian villages in the buffer zone, ordering citizens to stay at home. The Israeli military said it "does not interfere in internal events in Syria." But he added that his forces "will continue to operate for as long as necessary to preserve the buffer zone and protect Israel and its civilians.
Recall
Assad's army launched a counteroffensive against Islamist rebels near the strategic city of Hama with air support. Earlier, the rebels captured Aleppo and advanced 130 km to the South.