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HTS regime requests Russian patrols in south Syria to limit Israeli incursions: Report

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 13 August 2025 7:03 AM

The Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime in Syria is reportedly seeking to reinstate Russian military patrols in the southern governorates in the Arab country with the primary objective of curbing Israeli military incursions in the region.

The Russian daily Kommersant, citing an unnamed source, reported on Tuesday that Damascus has specifically asked Moscow to resume military patrols in the border areas with the occupied territories, similar to the patrols conducted before the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's government.

The report from the Moscow-based newspaper suggests that these patrols could help reduce Israeli incursions in Syria, amid the occupying regime's escalation in the Arab country in recent months under the pretext of creating a buffer zone and "protecting the Druze" community.

According to the source who was present at a meeting between Syria's de facto foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani and members of the Syrian diaspora in Moscow on August, "Russia's return to its previous positions could prevent Israel's interference in Syrian affairs."

Since the collapse of Assad's government, the Israeli military has been launching airstrikes against military installations, facilities, and arsenals belonging to Syria's now-defunct army.

Despite these ongoing aggressions, HTS has failed to mount a significant military response.

This failure is rooted in several factors. The downfall of Assad's government left Syria's military infrastructure fragmented. HTS, initially a militant group with Takfiri origins, now faces the challenge of governing a country rife with internal divisions and fractured armed factions. Its inability to unify these forces has severely limited its capacity to organize an effective defense against Israel.

The Russian military maintains bases across Syria and has kept channels open with the new regime, balancing its regional interests while managing delicate relations with Israel.

Israel has been widely condemned for the termination of the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria and for exploiting the chaos in the Arab nation in the wake of Assad's downfall to make a land grab.

The United Nations has condemned ongoing Israeli attacks inside Syrian territory and repeated violations in and around the buffer zone created as part of a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Damascus.

Last month, Israel bombed the military headquarters of the HTS regime in the Syrian capital Damascus.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu also ordered military units to target any HTS forces or weapons entering Sweida province, citing the protection of the Druze community, which Tel Aviv considers a strategic ally due to their significant ties to those residing in the occupied Golan Heights.

In February, Netanyahu said that southern Syria must remain fully demilitarized and warned that his regime would not tolerate any military presence near the Golan Heights.

The HTS regime in Syria holds Israel accountable for the escalation and demands the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from the areas they recently advanced into during the conflict.