The Israeli army spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, announced that Israeli forces carried out a surveillance and arrest operation on the summit of Jabal al-Sheikh (Mount Hermon, southern Syria) inside Syrian territory, during which they foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons from Syria to Lebanon.

Adraee said on his account on X, on Thursday, 23 October 2025, that the operation took place on the night of 22 October, when Israeli forces detected “suspicious” movements in the area, after which they arrested several suspects who attempted to smuggle combat materiel.

Weapons the Israeli army claims it prevented from being smuggled from Syria to Lebanon – 23 October 2025 (Avichay Adraee/X)

He added that the seized weapons were transferred to the competent authorities to continue investigating the detainees, noting that the Israeli army continues to deploy in the area “to protect the security of Israel’s citizens, especially the residents of the Golan Heights.”

There has been no comment from the Syrian side on the operation at the time of publishing this report.

A similar operation in southern Syria

Israel announced the arrest of Syrians it said were arms dealers in southern Syria and the conclusion of investigations with them, based on intelligence information.

On 22 July, Adraee, the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, said the 210th Division, together with Unit 50,4 concluded a military operation during which they arrested and interrogated arms dealers who were active in southern Syria during the previous night hours.

He added that the arrest of those accused of arms trafficking came after intelligence indicators about several suspects who had transported various types of combat materiel.

According to Adraee, the Israeli army seized weapons found in the area during its military activity inside Syria.

Adraee did not specify the location or number of the Syrians arrested, but earlier arrests targeted several residents of Quneitra governorate, adjacent to the border with Israel.

Israel shells the south

Israel launched artillery strikes on the outskirts of the town of Koya (western Daraa countryside, southern Syria) on 22 October, amid an uptick in Israeli army incursions across the south.

Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Daraa reported at the time that the Israeli army fired three shells at farmland about 300 meters from civilian homes.

The correspondent added that there were no direct damages or casualties, but fear and anticipation have prevailed in the town since the shelling.

Koya lies in the western countryside of Daraa within the fertile Yarmouk Basin area, which is strategically significant as it sits at the tri-border junction of Syria, Jordan, and Israel, about 40 kilometers from Daraa city center.

While Israel had not commented on the incident at the time of publishing, Israeli media only cited Syrian outlets. Channel 7 reported that the Israeli army fired three shells toward the northwest of Koya in western Daraa countryside, adding that Israel has not officially responded to these reports so far, according to the channel.