The IDF announced Wednesday morning that troops captured an Iranian terror cell in a special operation in southern Syria overnight.
The cell was apprehended by Golani Brigade forces with support from field operatives of Unit 504, the military's human intelligence branch. According to the military, the suspects were arrested in the areas of Umm al-Lux and Ain al-Batsali, following intelligence gathered over the past several weeks.
Footage of the operation in Syria
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
During the raid, Israeli forces seized weapons in the area where the suspects were captured, including firearms and grenades. Lt. Col. (res.) M., a battalion commander in the 474th Brigade, said, “We had another successful night of operations.
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"We arrested an Iranian terror cell based on intelligence we received. We will not allow terrorist elements to entrench themselves in the area. We’ll operate day and night to prevent their presence. In addition to the suspects, we seized weapons and explosives.”
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa
(Photo: Yariv Kayz, Abdulaziz KETAZ / AFP, AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
The operation involved Unit 504, which recruits and runs agents in enemy territory to provide real-time intelligence for operational purposes. According to IDF figures released in late 2024, the unit has conducted thousands of interrogations since the war began.
The arrests came nine days after a ceasefire took effect in the war with Iran and amid ongoing talks with the regime of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa toward a potential security agreement between the two countries that could eventually lead to normalization.