Former Syrian post on Golan Heights to open to tourists for first time after mine-clearing operation

Ein Almin, a former Syrian military post on the Golan Heights, will be open to tourists for the first time over the upcoming Sukkot holiday after an operation to clear the site of mines and unexploded ordnance, the Defense Ministry announces.

The site, abandoned by Syrian forces during the 1967 Six Day War, had been closed off for decades due to safety fears. Spanning 45 dunams (11 acres), the outpost includes trenches, underground bunkers, and 15 above-ground structures once used by Syrian troops.

In preparation for the opening, the authorities cleared the area of more than 600 explosive devices and old weapons, including grenades, mortars, RPGs, and rifles. Visitors will be able to tour the site, view a display of munitions uncovered in recent years, and take part in a mock mine-detection activity.

“Over the course of 13 years of activity, the Israel National Mine Action Authority has cleared more than 45,000 dunams (11,000 acres) of minefields and unexploded ordnance from Dan to Eilat, with the aim of allowing the general public to safely travel in various tourist sites, expand agricultural land, and enable the construction of tens of thousands of industrial and residential buildings,” says head of the authority Shachar Beck.

“We invite the people of Israel to join us this coming Sukkot, to become acquainted firsthand with the work of mine clearance, and to enjoy for the first time in history a site that had been closed to the public for decades,” he adds.