IDF confiscates over 300 weapons, arrests smugglers in raids on Syrian Hermon

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated on Thursday that its troops completed raids of several old Syrian army outposts on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, targeting smugglers transporting weapons between Lebanon and Syria.

Meanwhile, new reports suggest that Syria and Israel have resolved a majority of the points in the discussions between Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer earlier this week.

One important point in the negotiations is the possible return of Syrian territory that Israel captured and occupied when the Assad regime fell in December 2024, which includes the former demilitarized zone along the border as well as the peak of Mt. Hermon.

On Wednesday, Israeli troops raided several old commando outposts on the slopes of the mountain, which had apparently been used by smugglers.

The IDF said soldiers of the Mountains Brigade “apprehended and questioned several suspects in the area who engaged in the smuggling and trade of weapons from Syria to Lebanon.”

“During the raid and searches at the outposts, more than 300 weapons were located, all of them were confiscated,” the IDF said.

“The brigade's troops continue to work in the area to protect the security of the citizens of the State of Israel and the residents of the Golan Heights in particular.”

The mountainous, inaccessible border region of Lebanon and Syria has long been used to smuggle weapons, including by Iranian regime forces to supply strategic weaponry to Hezbollah.

Since coming to power, the new Syrian government of President Ahmad al-Sharaa has worked to secure the area, leading to several days of armed clashes with Lebanese forces.

The U.S. has been pushing for a security arrangement between Syria and Israel, however, the attacks on the Syrian Druze and Israel’s airstrikes to stop them raised the tensions between the governments.

The Saudi Al-Hadath channel reported that this week’s talks went very well, citing sources who said, “There is agreement on about 80% of the points between Israel and the Syrian regime.”

“Security arrangements in southern Syria are almost finalized. [Israeli-Druze leader] Mowafaq Tarif contacted the Syrian-Druze leader Hikmat al-Hijri and asked him to work on a solution with Damascus,” the sources said.

They added that there is a Syrian-American agreement to continue the security talks in Paris as well as the Azerbaijani capital, Baku.

However, the sources told Al-Hadath that there is no agreement on a humanitarian corridor between Israel and the Druze town of Suwayda to facilitate the supply of aid to the region that is still recovering from brutal days of fighting, caused by attacks from Bedouin tribes.

Washington and Damascus believe such a corridor would be seen as “a reward for the extremists of Suwayda and the [Bedouin] tribes,” and therefore won’t support it until calm is restored in the area.

For now, the Syrian government reportedly agreed to establish a safe corridor from Damascus to Suwayda to improve aid deliveries and “ensure its safe and orderly arrival to all those in need.”