WhatsappUnlike the Druze villages in Syria that border Israel’s Golan Heights who have been very friendly to IDF, the Syrian Sunni villages further to the south have seen their youth protest the IDF’s presence.
The Daraa 24 news outlet has reported that IDF soldiers had to fire in order to disperse the protestors. According to the report, four protestors were injured. According to the IDF, soldiers noticed several gatherings, including some who were approaching forces operating in the area.
“After calling on the protesters to move away, the forces responded with fire to disperse them,” the IDF says, adding that “the claim about casualties in the area is being examined.”
The IDF has been continuing to push further east, both a few kilometers from the old DMZ and south of the Druze area. With Syria clearly turning into an Islamist enclave as well as continuing to fracture, the IDF has been tasked to create a wide buffer and security zone deep into Syrian territory.
While there have been pockets of friction, most villages have been peaceful. Securing the area is key for Israel as it ensures that the current Jihadists that have taken control of Syria will stay as far away from Israel as possible. The only way to do that is to hold on to as much land as possible.
In the coming conflict, land is key and Israel is not just about to give up its newly gained territory.
