The tension between IDF forces and local residents in southern Syria has escalated.
This morning (March 25), local Syria residents opened fire on IDF forces near the village of Koayiah in the tri-border area in southern Syria. In response, the IDF carried an airstrike against the armed individuals, resulting in several casualties and injuries. Additionally, reports indicate that many civilians fled the village following the incident.
Videos from the area also clearly shows armed people dressed in civilian clothes.
The tri-border area is known as a former ISIS stronghold and continues to host local hostile elements. In recent weeks, several protests have taken place in the region against IDF operations in southern Syria, and reports suggest that local residents have refused to accept humanitarian aid from Israel.
This is likely the first instance of local residents carried out a coordinated attack against IDF soldiers. We assess (as we have previously noted), that the longer the IDF remains in the buffer zone, there will likely be more tensions and confrontations with local residents and they may further escalate. Additionally, over time, local terrorist infrastructures are likely to emerge, guided by various actors (Islamists, Palestinians, the Shiite Axis), similar to those we have previously reported on.
