Israel declares ‘closed military zones’ in Golan after regime collapse in Syria

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army imposed “closed military zones” in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights on Sunday following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria.

In a statement, military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said that the decision was taken based on a security assessment conducted by the Northern Command.

“Schools in four Druze communities in the northern Golan Heights – Buq’ata, Ein Qiniye, Mas’ade, and Majdal Shams – would carry out studies online on Sunday. Daycares would still operate as usual in those towns,” he said.

The spokesman said agricultural areas near Merom Golan, Ein Zivan, Buq’ata and Khirbet Ein Hura would be off-limits until the end of the month.

The Israeli army early Sunday deployed additional forces along the buffer zone separating Syria and the occupied Golan Heights with the military citing concerns over the potential infiltration of armed groups into the region.

Assad fled Syria to an unknown location after anti-regime groups took control of the capital Damascus early Sunday, marking the collapse of the Baath Party regime, which had been in power in Syria since 1963.

It came almost a week after anti-regime groups seized control of Aleppo, a major city in northern Syria.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara