Israeli troops arrest Syrian man in southern Syria in rare incursion
QUNEITRA, Syria (North Press) – Israeli forces arrested a Syrian man on Thursday during an incursion into the southern countryside of Quneitra, near positions of Syrian government forces.
A local source, speaking to North Press anonymously due to security concerns, reported that Israeli troops detained Mahmoud Hilal Al-Fnish, a resident of the border village of Rafid near the occupied Golan Heights.
The source detailed that Israeli forces entered Rafid, where Al-Fnish was herding sheep, with a force of over 30 personnel equipped with advanced weaponry and accompanied by military vehicles mounted with machine guns. The source added that Al-Fnish is known locally solely for his work as a shepherd, and the reason for his arrest remains unclear.
The source also confirmed that the Israeli incursion took place just meters from Syrian government military positions, which did not intervene or attempt to secure the shepherd’s release.
This arrest comes amid heightened tensions in the region; on October 9, an Israeli airstrike killed a Syrian soldier in the Quneitra countryside.