Newly released body-camera footage captured the moment Israeli special forces busted an alleged Iranian operative who was spying on Israeli troops.
The Israeli military captured Ali Soleiman al-Assi in the area of Saida in southern Syria, the Israel Defense Forces announced Sunday, making a rare acknowledgment of its covert activities across the border.
“The operation prevented a future attack and led to the exposure of the operational methods of Iranian terror networks located near the Golan Heights. Al-Assi was transferred for further investigation,” the military said in a statement on X alongside a clip of al-Assi being interrogated.
Al-Assi, a Syrian citizen, had been under IDF surveillance and was found to have been gathering intelligence on IDF troops in the border area, the Israeli military said.
After being brought in for interrogation, al-Assi said he and others would sit on the fence and observe the border under the orders of someone working for Iran, according to a translated transcript of his interrogation.
Footage released by the IDF showed soldiers approaching a small building at night before raiding the spot.
Soldiers can be seen in the clip placing al-Assi, who is wearing a white tank top, in handcuffs.
The IDF did not say when the operation took place, however, its announcement came just after Israel’s equivalent of Navy SEALs stormed a beach in Lebanon and captured a man they say was a senior Hezbollah operative over the weekend.
Commandos with the Israel Defense Force’s Shayetet 13 force rushed the beach and seized Imad Amhaz, throwing him into a speedboat and jetting off, according to the IDF.
Amhaz, who is believed to be a “significant source of knowledge” on Hezbollah’s naval force, was handed over to Israeli interrogators.
Hezbollah condemned Israel’s actions in Batroun but did not confirm if Amhaz was one of their operatives.
With Post wires
