Israel says detained Iran-linked ‘terrorist cell’ in Syria

Israel’s army stated on Wednesday (July 2, 2025) it had apprehended members of an Iranian-backed “terrorist cell” in southern Syria, the place state TV reported three arrested by Israeli troops.

For the reason that December overthrow of Syria’s longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, Israel has carried out lots of of air strikes totally on army websites and despatched troops to hold out raids.

An Israeli army assertion on Wednesday (July 2, 2025) stated that in a “focused night-time” raid, troops “apprehended a number of terrorists” and seized weapons.

It stated the operation focused “a terrorist cell operated by Iran”, Israel’s arch-foe towards which it had fought an unprecedented 12-day battle final month.

Syrian state TV stated an Israeli patrol “consisting of eight autos and round 40 troopers arrested three people from the village of Al-Bassali” within the Quneitra space of southwest Syria bordering the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights battle monitor reported an operation which “resulted within the arrest of three residents of Palestinian origin”.

It stated the folks had been inside a farm “on the time of the raid, with none clashes or intervention by (Syrian) army or safety forces within the space”.

In keeping with the Observatory, the in a single day operation got here two months after a relative of the three was arrested and transferred to an Israeli jail.

Since Assad’s fall, Israel has carried out strikes in Syria geared toward denying army property to the Islamist-led interim administration.

It has additionally deployed troops throughout the demilitarised zone on the Syrian facet of the armistice line that used to separate the opposing forces on the Golan, with Israeli troops repeatedly finishing up raids in southern Syria.

On June 12, Syria stated the Israeli army killed one civilian and detained seven folks throughout an in a single day incursion, with the Israeli military saying it seized members of Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Israel stated Monday (June 30, 2025) it was “” in hanging normalisation agreements with Syria and neighbouring Lebanon, however insisted the strategic Golan Heights — which Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and later annexed in a transfer not recognised by the United Nations — would “stay a part of” Israel below any peace accord.