Elite IDF snow unit reveals Syrian outpost secrets

The Israeli Defense Forces’ Alpinist Unit, a Northern Command team trained for combat in extreme weather and snow, has been operating in the Syrian Hermon region for months. On a recent mission to one of the deepest Syrian outposts near a UN position, the unit intercepted smugglers and uncovered key insights into the area’s strategic value.

Roughly 45 minutes after landing via helicopter, the team reached the outpost using a snowcat. Evidence showed Syrian soldiers historically abandoned these posts during harsh winters. The alpinists—many veterans of elite units like Golani Reconnaissance and Shayetet 13—stopped Lebanese smugglers carrying Captagon drugs, weapons, and heating stoves from Shabaa village. Tracks in the snow made their movements easy to trace.

Across the valley, a school-turned-Hezbollah outpost stood abandoned since the ceasefire began. Hostility persists, with both local Shiites and Sunnis expressing resentment toward Israeli forces. Meanwhile, 16 Syrian army outposts and anti-tank positions—rumored to be Austrian-built with thick concrete walls—were found filled with diesel to block IDF entry, though trenches revealed well-kept machine guns and missiles.

The operation highlights the IDF’s growing control over the Syrian Hermon, disrupting smuggling routes and reinforcing Israel’s strategic foothold in the region.