Israeli Arrests in Southern Syria: A Recent Case in the Yarmouk Basin

As part of their incursions into southern Syria since the fall of the Assad regime, Israeli forces have sometimes arrested individuals for reasons that are not always made clear by the Israelis. The lack of clarity contributes to the impression that the arrests are random and somehow just aimed at intimidating and terrorising the local populations. A recent case of interest in this regard is the reported arrest of three individuals from the locality of Jamla in the Yarmouk Basin region of Deraa, very near the border with the Golan Heights. The individuals listed are Muhammad Turki al-Samuri, Mahmud Mazid al-Baridi and Muhammad Muhanna al-Baridi.

In this post, I will focus on the case of Muhammad Muhanna al-Baridi and show why it is unlikely that these arrests are random or merely aimed at intimidating local populations. Originally, I was disinclined to discuss him in particular but I have subsequently seen that his case has provoked some noise on local social media calling for his release from Israeli custody. For example, as one post puts it: