Houthis Deploying Forces in Syria as ‘Prelude to New Escalation’
A general view shows the town of Majdal Shams near the ceasefire line between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights March 25, 2019. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad
i24 News – A Houthi source confirmed the arrival of Houthi fighters from Yemen to Syrian territory, according to reports.
The confirmation comes after a Syrian source told i24NEWS’ Hebrew channel that the Iran-backed Yemeni group was on its way to Israel’s border with Syria in the Golan Heights.
The Yemeni armed group claimed that “this is a prelude to a new phase of escalation against Israel.” The Russian Sputnik news agency said that they had moved into Syria
“In recent days, Houthis from Iraq arrived in the south of the country – to open a new firing front – using drones against Israel,” the source told i24NEWS last Wednesday.
“The Houthis are on their way to the borders of the Golan and there are tunnels for smuggling from Jordan,” he said.
He also revealed during his speech that during the smuggling operation from Syria to Jordan through tunnels guarded by the Iranians, an operation similar to that taking place in Gaza, the purpose of smuggling weapons is to deliver them to the West Bank and to undermine the government in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Russian news outlets, on the other hand, claimed they were arriving from Iran.
Arms smuggling from Syria to Jordan and from Jordan to Israel is a well-known Iranian strategy in Israeli defense circles. According to the official, “it is going exactly as in the Gaza Strip, because under the Jordanian border there are tunnels used by the Iranians to smuggle weapons that reach the West Bank and elements in Jordan working to undermine the rule of the Hashemite royal family.”
The source said that some in Syria have informed Israel about the tunnels, which are used by Iran via Hezbollah despite guards stationed at crossings.
“They come in 4×4 vehicles loaded with weapons and stay for a specified period in these areas, and then the vehicles return empty,” he said. “There are Jordanian officers and Jordanian tribal elders who collude with the smugglers in exchange for huge sums of money paid to them by Iran and Hezbollah.”
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