A Merkava IV tank. FILE PHOTO: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
Early on June 17, Israeli battle tanks shelled a Syrian military post in the vicinity of the town of al-Qahtaniyah in the southern al-Quneitra countryside.
The post, which was located around 150 meters away from the separation line, belonged to the 90th Brigade, the largest unit of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) 1st Corps. The post usually hosts 12 Syrian soldiers. However, no casualties were reported as a result of the Israeli attack.
Local sources claimed that Munir Ali Naeem Shaito, a senior commander of Lebanese Hezbollah, visited the targeted post on several occasions in the past.
After the attack, the Israeli military dropped leaflets over al-Quneitra warning SAA service members from collaborating with Shaito, who is also known as “Jawad Hashim” and “Haj Hashim”. The leaflets included photos of Shaito along with Brig. Gen. Hussein Hammouch, commander of the 90th Brigade. Similar leaflets were dropped over the region last month.
يبدو أن استهداف احد مواقع سرية القحطانية في القنيطرة عبر دبابات اسرائيلية جاء لهدفين : تسجيل اول عمل عسكري علني لحكومة بينت على جبهة الشمال و توجيه رسالة مزدوجة لجواد هاشم بانه قد يغتال وللجيش السوري بان وجود حزب الله جنوبي سوريا يعرضه للخطر.هو مر يحمل المنظار في منشوراتهم. pic.twitter.com/eAEaljL4f1
— Ziad Halabiزياد حلبي (@ziadhalabi1) June 17, 2021
This was the first Israeli attack on Syria since Naftali Bennett assumed office as the new Prime Minister of Israel on June 13.
Under Bennett’s predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel launched a covert military campaign against Iranian forces and their allies in Syria. The last attack on Syria under Netanyahu command took place on June 8. Several targets were hit in central and southern Syria. At least seven SAA service members were killed.
