Israeli military deploys forces in Syria buffer zone

It says its soldiers are in UN-patrolled zone to assist peacekeepers in repelling attack

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JERUSALEM - Israel's military said on Dec 8 that it had deployed forces to a demilitarized buffer zone in south-west Syria abutting the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights after Damascus fell to rebel forces.

Israel had already said the day before, as the Islamist-led rebels swiftly advanced across Syria, that its soldiers had entered the United Nations-patrolled buffer zone to assist peacekeepers in repelling an attack.

On Dec 8, the army announced a troop deployment there, citing "the possible entry of armed individuals into the buffer zone".

"Following the recent events in Syria, the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) has deployed forces in the buffer zone and in several other places necessary for its defence, to ensure the safety of the communities of the Golan Heights and the citizens of Israel," a military statement said.