The IDF has established nine military positions in Syrian territory in recent months.

One of the units operating there is Reserve Battalion 9308, commanded by Lt. Col. D., which is responsible for three of those positions.

Before deploying to Syria, the battalion served along the Lebanese border. “In Lebanon, if you identify someone, it’s generally much clearer that you’re dealing with an enemy because there are no civilians. Here, the main challenge is operating in an area with a civilian population,” he said.

“We maintain contact with the local residents through civil affairs officers and operate inside the villages,” he said, noting that the area’s population includes both Druze and Sunni Muslims.

The battalion’s primary mission is to prevent hostile elements from operating in the area or infiltrating Israel while minimizing harm to the local civilian population. “We operate in the buffer zone and move farther inside, because when we’re there, the residents of northern Israel are better protected,” he said.

Lt. Col. D. noted that there are unofficial understandings with the Syrian military, whose forces remain at a considerable distance. “We have full freedom of action and can carry out all necessary defensive operations.”

He added that the battalion is primarily confronting Shiite groups backed by Iran. “They are trying to use people inside Syria to attack our forces and the residents of Israel. Our mission is to thwart the cells operating in this area and push them back.”

Although he could not estimate the number of Iranian operatives and proxy forces in the region, he said the battalion has not yet encountered them in direct combat.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)