IDF arrests two suspects on motorcycle near Syrian border

IDF troops operating in the security zone in southern Syria arrested two suspects on Monday after spotting them riding a motorcycle toward an Israeli military position. The soldiers initiated an arrest procedure that included warning fire, and successfully detained both individuals. No IDF casualties were reported in the incident.

The arrest marks the second security incident in the area in less than 24 hours. Overnight, IDF forces identified a suspect attempting to infiltrate a military post near the village of al-Hamidiyah. The suspect ignored warnings and continued climbing the embankment leading to the position, at which point troops opened precise fire and eliminated him on the spot.

Following the two incidents, Golan Regional Council head Uri Kellner and Katzrin Local Council head Yehuda Duah issued a sharp response. "Two significant and serious incidents in less than 24 hours are already a warning sign that cannot be ignored," the two officials said. "We are identifying a pattern that is repeating itself, and it requires determined handling and a long-term security response."

The Golan leaders stressed that precisely in days when there is a sense of calm, people must not become confused or to return to the misconceptions that preceded October 7. "Alongside the continued hold and activity of the IDF in the Syrian arena, the State of Israel must continue to strengthen the security components in the Golan communities, in Katzrin and in the Druze villages," they demanded.

The two called on party leaders and those who will form the next government to commit to continued strengthening of security in the Golan and to allocate the necessary resources for it. "The security of the residents of Katzrin and the Golan cannot depend on a temporary sense of calm," they emphasized.

The incidents add to a series of reports of increased military activity in the area. In recent weeks, repeated raids by IDF forces have been documented in villages in the Quneitra region and the western countryside of Daraa in Syria.

According to reports, the forces raid houses and farms in the dead of night, conduct thorough searches, fire into the air and use attack dogs as they search for weapons held by civilians in the sensitive area adjacent to the ceasefire line.

An IDF spokesperson said: "The IDF will continue to operate in the security zone in southern Syria and to remove any threat to the citizens of the State of Israel and IDF forces."