DAMASCUS: Israeli tanks have reportedly crossed the border fence with Syria for the first time since 1974 as Syrian opposition fighters overthrew Bashar al-Assad’s regime and declared Syria free.
Syrian opposition fighters have addressed on state TV, declaring Damascus “liberated” as celebrations break out in the streets of Damascus.
The development of sending troops to Syria comes shortly after Israel said it would bolster its military presence on Syrian soil in reaction to the rebel offensive.
According to media reports, the move is purportedly aimed at preventing Syrian armed forces or civilians, regardless of their allegiance, from coming close to the Israeli positions, according to the Maariv newspaper.
We reported earlier how Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli said Israel must “establish a new line of defence based on the ceasefire line of 1974” with Syria at Mount Hermon in the occupied Golan Heights.
Israel occupied the majority of Syria’s Golan Heights in 1967 and annexed it in 1981.
Meanwhile, Jordanian authorities opened the main crossing at the Jordan-Syria border allowing Syrians to go home.
The Jordanian authorities had closed the border with concerns that there would be a spillover from the developments happening too fast for them to assess minute to minute. So, they closed the border, allowing only Jordanian nationals back into the country.
