The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Sunday that the Fourth Division, led by Maher al-Assad, the brother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has taken significant steps to avoid becoming an Israeli target. According to Observatory sources, the division’s leadership issued orders prohibiting the transfer of weapons or the accommodation of Lebanese Hezbollah members and Iranian militias within the 4th Division’s headquarters and bases.
Additionally, the 4th Division instructed its forces deployed across Syria not to engage or target U.S. or Israeli forces, particularly in the Golan Heights. The division’s presence is primarily concentrated in the Damascus and Rif Dimashq governorates, with additional deployments in Idlib and points in the Deir-ez-Zor governorate.
Governor of Quneitra Denies Any Israeli Violation or Incursion in Southern Countryside
On September 29, Israel targeted a villa linked to the 4th Division near the town of Yafour in the Damascus countryside. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, since the escalation in Lebanon, Israeli military movements have been observed near the border between the Quneitra governorate and the Syrian Golan Heights. A significant number of Israeli tanks and military vehicles have been stationed in the Golan, posing a clear threat to forces within Syrian territory.
In recent months, Israel has intensified its activities in the region, opening corridors in the Syrian Golan and detonating minefields along the ceasefire line several times, coinciding with an escalation in attacks and targeting in the area. Israeli media outlets have also reported that Israel has started constructing a security fence along its border with Syria to prevent potential militant infiltration from the Syrian side, particularly from the Golan front.
Two days ago, local sources revealed that an Israeli force had crossed into Syria south of Quneitra. Despite this, Assad regime forces did not respond to the incursion, and the regime later denied the reports. A Baath Party official, speaking to a media outlet close to the Assad regime, dismissed the claims of an Israeli ground incursion as baseless.
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.
