IDF says it entered Golan buffer zone to prevent Syrian gunmen from entering

The IDF confirms that it has taken up new positions in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights, following the fall of the Assad regime.

“The IDF has deployed troops in the buffer zone and in a number of areas that are necessary to defend, in order to ensure the security of the communities in the Golan Heights and the citizens of Israel,” the military says in a statement.

The move comes following a fresh assessment and “the possibility of gunmen entering the buffer zone,” the IDF says.

“We emphasize that the IDF does not intervene in the events taking place in Syria,” the military adds.

It marks the first time since the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement was signed that Israeli forces have taken up positions in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria. The IDF has entered the zone briefly on several occasions in the past.

The disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria concluded the Yom Kippur War.