Global
Amid mounting tensions in the country’s south, growing apprehensions have emerged in Damascus regarding the possibility of armed Druze factions in As-Suwayda launching an offensive against government positions in the coming days, with indications pointing to Israeli incitement and backing for the operation. A Syrian government official told the Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post that intelligence received from As-Suwayda suggests armed groups are actively preparing for an assault on army forces. He noted that troop concentrations observed along the contact lines have heightened fears in the capital of a reignited conflict across southern Syria, especially after local Druze figures publicly declared that an operation to recapture Druze villages might commence shortly. Syrian officials believe that any forthcoming offensive would enjoy explicit Israeli encouragement and logistics. The official highlighted an intensification of Israeli aerial reconnaissance missions over As-Suwayda, its environs, Damascus, and southern regions, additionally claiming an Israeli helicopter landed locally to deliver substantial shipments of arms and munitions.
