The Israeli channel “Kan” recently reported that the Israeli airstrikes on Damascus a few days ago were aimed at the covert “Golan Unit” of the Lebanese organization “Hezbollah.”
According to an intelligence source quoted by the channel, the airstrikes specifically targeted a training camp for the “Golan Heights” unit located near Damascus. The camp was known to house individuals who received training to carry out operations against Israel.
Furthermore, the strikes also hit a Hezbollah headquarters in southern Syria, which was involved in planning attacks against Israel and the United States in the region.
Reports from the regime’s news agency, SANA, confirmed that Israel had launched airstrikes near Damascus. The agency stated that Israel conducted “air aggression from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting certain locations in the vicinity of Damascus.” It further mentioned that the damages were limited to material and that air defences successfully intercepted several Israeli missiles.
Recently, the Long War Journal website reported statements from US intelligence officials, revealing that the Golan Unit had been making preparations to launch attacks against US forces in Syria.
According to the website, the unit was engaged in exercises involving tanks and weapons in southern Damascus, with the specific intention of targeting US forces.
In recent months, Israel has escalated its bombardment of multiple locations in Syria. Although Israel does not formally claim responsibility for all these attacks, it acknowledges that its airstrikes in Syria are in response to the presence of Iran, which is actively involved in military positions supporting the Assad regime’s forces.
Who is the Golan Unit?
The Golan Unit is a covert division within Lebanese Hezbollah, which was initially exposed by Israel in 2019. Its primary objective is to train Lebanese and Syrian teams to carry out attacks against Israel.
According to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, the leader of this clandestine unit is Ali Musa Abbas Daqduq, also known as Abu Hussein Sajid. Daqduq became affiliated with Hezbollah in 1983 and held various positions in southern Lebanon.
In 2006, he relocated to Iraq to oversee the operations of Hezbollah’s unit in that country. However, he was apprehended by US forces in 2007. Despite being released in 2012 due to an alleged lack of evidence, he was dispatched to Syria in 2018 to establish the Golan File Unit.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
