The Syrian transitional government’s Interior Ministry has announced that its operatives have detained a “terrorist cell affiliated with the Hezbollah militia” operating in the towns of Sasa and Kanaker in the western Damascus countryside.
These two towns are around 10 miles from the outskirts of Damascus and some five miles from the 1974 ceasefire line of Israeli control on the Golan Heights. As such they lie very close to Israel’s currently-deployed forces operating in the ceasefire zone between Israel and Syria.
Sasa is on Route 7 that goes from Damascus to Kafr Arnabeh. Kanaker is a town that lies about a mile from Route 7.
According to Syria’s Al-Ikhbariah media the commander of the Internal Security Forces in the Damascus Countryside Governorate, Brigadier General Ahmed Al-Dalati, “explained that the arrest of the terrorist cell was carried out in cooperation with specialized units and the General Intelligence Service, following close monitoring and intensive field work.”
Dalati was recently moved to command this area of the Damascus countryside after having run security in Sweida province. His role in Sweida oversaw the clashes in July and led to a re-shuffle in Syrian security forces. This high profile arrest of Hezbollah activity is one of the first fruits of moving Dalati to the Damascus area.
The report noted “according to Al-Dalati, initial investigations revealed that the cell members received training in camps inside Lebanese territory and were planning to carry out operations inside Syrian territory that would threaten the security and stability of citizens.”
The report noted, “according to Al-Dalati, initial investigations revealed that the cell members received training in camps inside Lebanese territory and were planning to carry out operations inside Syrian territory that would threaten the security and stability of citizens.”
Hezbollah plans attacks from behind Syrian lines
The Syrian forces confiscated missile launchers, 19 Grad rockets, anti-tank missiles, individual weapons, and large quantities of various types of ammunition, the report says. The commander “noted that the case has been referred to the relevant authorities for further legal action, while relevant agencies continue to investigate the detainees to uncover their full affiliations and objectives.”
In July, the IDF twice raided Iranian-linked cells operating near the Golan. When the Assad regime ruled Syria there were many Hezbollah-linked cells operating near the Golan. They were part of the “Golan File” of Hezbollah.
Israel targeted a Hezbollah drone unit near the Golan in August 2019 and after the fall of the Assad regime, the Iranian-linked groups near the Golan were left in chaos. Hezbollah also suffered weakening blows from Israel in the conflict in 2024. It has tried to regrow its operations as it refuses to disarm in Lebanon.
Syria’s new government has intercepted Hezbollah arms shipments. However, Israel demands southern Syria be demilitarized. This makes Syria’s forces much weaker in Dara’a province and Sweida. Dara’a is near the Golan. This may be one reason Hezbollah is able to regrow its tentacles. Syria continues to condemn what it sees as Israeli violations in Dara’a, including IDF troop movements into areas Syria claims as Syrian soil.