Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Syria said calling up reserve soldiers, fearing Israeli attack

"Syria's military has called up part of its reserve troops over fears of an Israel Defense Forces offensive, the London-based Arabic-language daily Al-Quds al-Arabi reported Wednesday.

The report quoted senior officials in Damascus as saying the Syrian army has heightened its alert over fears of an offensive by a neighboring country and is conducting large-scale military exercises.

Al-Quds al-Arabi also reported that Syria is closely following Israeli military activity along the Syrian border, and that Damascus is operating under the assumption that Israel is laying the groundwork for war with Syria.

In recent weeks, several media sources have reported that the Syrian army has deployed armored divisions and infantry units near Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.

According to Al-Quds al-Arabi, Syrian military intelligence estimates that Israeli forces will attempt to infiltrate from the Bekaa Valley area, regarded as a 'soft spot' on the border.

Last week, London-based Arabic-language daily Al-Hayat reported that the Syrian army was calling up reserve units......"

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