New details from journalist Hillel Biton Rosen: the terror cell that operated on the Syrian border with Iranian direction included an operative from the General Security apparatus of Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, who was apparently moderately wounded. The cell used motorcycles and possibly trucks to mask its movements.
In an update Tuesday evening (20:09 Jerusalem), journalist Hillel Biton Rosen reported new details on the terror cell that operated on the Syrian border with Iranian direction. According to the report, the cell included an operative from the General Security apparatus of Abu Mohammad al-Jolani — the de facto ruler of Syria. That operative was apparently moderately wounded in the incident. The report adds that following the initial engagement, the terrorists in Syria detected what they interpreted as an Israeli deep-penetration operation and dispatched additional gunmen to the area. On Sunday there was an encounter with a single terrorist who has not yet been killed or captured. The cell used motorcycles to approach the area and may have retreated via trucks to mask its trail.
The account is from a desk-reviewed report affiliated with Biton Rosen, previously reliable on security matters. The thread began on Sunday June 28, 07:31 Jerusalem, when the IDF first confirmed eliminating armed terrorists in southern Syria, with initial reports that the gunmen were likely dispatched by Iran's Quds Force (versions 6-10). By later Sunday, the military disclosed the cell had been under a two-week surveillance operation (as The Zioneer reported Monday June 29, 09:47 Jerusalem) and was suspected of planning to infiltrate deep into Israel. The same source now adds details of al-Jolani's security apparatus involvement — an evolution from earlier assessments that focused solely on Iranian direction.
As The Zioneer reported on June 29, the IDF revealed special forces and Brigade 6 directed an IAF strike that eliminated the cell as they approached the border, following a two-week surveillance. The operation was described as thwarting a planned major infiltration into Israeli territory. This Wednesday update does not contradict that account but adds new operational details.
The new report relies on a single source and the IDF has not commented. The identity of the alleged al-Jolani-linked operative and the exact nature of his wound remain unverified. Whether additional gunmen dispatched Sunday have been neutralized is also unclear.
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