A source from western Syria tells Israel Hayom that al-Sharaa's men – many of them mercenaries – are selling weapons to Hezbollah on the black market, while the government plays both sides.
Since the fall of Bashar Assad's regime in Syria, much has been written about the severing of Hezbollah's weapons corridor into Lebanon. The al-Sharaa government in Damascus has periodically announced operations against arms smuggling. Last month, for example, a tunnel was uncovered in the Homs district that had been used to smuggle weapons into Lebanon. Now it emerges that the reality is far more complex.
In western Syria, the population is exhausted by severe poverty and by acts of murder and kidnapping targeting minority communities, particularly the Alawite community. A Syrian source from that region who spoke with Israel Hayom said, "What is happening now is very dangerous." According to the source, "There is indeed hostility between al-Julani's men [Ahmed al-Sharaa] and Iran, and on the surface they are enemies. However, under the table, al-Julani's men are providing Hezbollah with concessions no less significant than those Assad gave them. Through arms deals with Hezbollah on the Syrian black market, they are supplying them with weapons cheaply."
"In Damascus, there are hundreds of warehouses full of Grad, Scud, and Katyusha rockets that the government has seized," the Syrian source added. "Al-Julani and his people are playing both sides." He explained that "al-Jolani's people include a large number of mercenaries who worship money. The state – that is, the government – cannot provide for all of them and their salaries. So each one finds his own way to make money – weapons, drugs, cars, robbery. Each one finds his area of specialty." (Ed note: That breaks it down. Always keep one eye on the state of Syria.) (Read More)
