New Shadowy Sunni Armed Group Vows To Fight Israel In Southern Syria

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An armed group has emerged in southern Syria, vowing to deter Israel and expel its forces from the south of the country. The development came as Damascus is still looking for a security agreement with Tel Aviv, despite the lack of any solid progress in talks mediated by the United States.

The new group, which calls itself the Movement to Deter the Occupation (MDO), posted its first statement to Telegram on February 12. Its official channel was established just two days earlier.

In the statement, the group stated it was established in response to “repeated attacks by the Zionist entity” on southern Syria, and “in light of the internal, Arab, and international silence regarding these transgressions.”

It also cited what it called the “failure to comply with what is stated in the Book of God and the Sunnah of its prophet regarding the obligation to support” Muslim people in the region as a reason to pick up arms.

“Today, we announce the establishment of the ‘Movement to Deter the Occupation,’ in response to God’s command to support the oppressed and answer the pleas of our people in the south, and to deter the enemy who has become tyrannical in his crimes and has persisted in his incursions and violations of national sovereignty, especially since our great Syrian people have a glorious history of confronting occupiers and aggressors,” the statement reads.

The Israeli military invaded the buffer zone adjacent to the occupied Golan Heights in the governorate of al-Qunitra right after the fall of the regime of former president, Bashar al-Assad, more than a year ago, and has since established a series of posts there, including atop of the strategic Mount Hermon.

The military has been also conducting operations in al-Qunitra, the neighboring governorates of Daraa and Rif Dimashq on a regular basis.

In a report published on February 24, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the Israeli military has conducted 569 operations in the three governorates since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8 of 2024.

The monthly statistics provided by the London-based monitoring group revealed a dangerous upward trend; the number of incursions rose from four in January 2025 to 76 in December of the same year, before the escalation continued in 2026 with 51 incursions recorded in January and 44 incursions in February.

These operations created some serious tensions between the Israeli military and people in southern Syria, which escalated into clashes on more than one occasion.

Last year, specifically on November 28, Israeli troops came under attack while conducting an operation to arrest suspects in Beit Jinn. Six of the troops were wounded and at least 20 Syrians were killed in retaliatory Israeli strikes.

The MDO set several clear goals in its statement, starting with unifying all fighters in southern Syria against Israel. The group also vowed to foil the David Corridor project, an alleged Israeli strategic plan aimed at establishing a land link between the Golan Heights and Kurdish-controlled territories in northeastern Syria and Iraq.

It also promised to defend people in southern Syria, avenge the blood of those who died, liberate the detainees, return the displaced to their land and homes, and prevent the Israelis from expanding and settling.

In addition, the group said that it would reclaim “the occupied territories seized by the enemy after the fall of the defunct regime, leading to the complete liberation of the Golan Heights.”

The MDO concluded its statement by calling on “all honorable people in Syria, the Arab world, and the Islamic world,” as well as on “all Mujahideen in Syria” to support its cause and join its ranks in order to “attain the honor of fighting the Zionist tyrants.”

While the group did not explicitly outline its ideological or political stance, its statement indicated both a Sunni Islamic doctrine and a non-adversarial stance toward the Syrian government.

The logo of the MDO itself includes the new flag and emblem of Syria. The group also referred to the Assad regime as the “defunct regime,” a term commonly used by the government and its supporters. The Sunni identity of the group was clear both in its reference to the “Sunnah” — traditions and practices of Prophet Muhammad — in its statement, as well as in the use of the Tawheed flag, which is common with groups that follow this doctrine.

Interestingly, the group has also released photos showing graffiti supporting it in different parts of Damascus, proving that it is not just some publicity stunt.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Leaflets with the MDO statement were also distributed at the heart of the Syrian capital on February 24 and 25, according to social media posts.

Click to see full-size image.

Syria’s President Ahmad al-Sharaa used many front groups to fight the Assad regime when he was a rebel leader in the northern governorate of Idlib. However, it is highly unlikely that his government is behind the MDO.

Damascus has been engaged in direct talks with Tel Aviv for around a year now. Last month, the Middle East Eye reported that the U.S. is pressing both sides to sign a security agreement by March. Many issues are still stuck, however, as Syria wants the buffer zone back, and Israel is refusing to abound Mount Hermon. The talks very much appear to be on halt for the time being.

It is more likely that the MDO is linked to Sunni groups from the Axis of Resistance, which includes Iran, specifically to the Palestinian Hamas Movement and the Lebanese Islamic Group. Israel claims that both are attempting to advance attacks from Syria.

Many of the Israeli military’s recent operations in southern Syria targeted people with alleged links to these groups. In fact, the suspects Israeli troops were attempting to arrest when clashes broke out at Beit Jinn last November were allegedly affiliated with the Islamic Group.

Recent weeks saw an increase in Israeli military operations against both groups in Lebanon, and in one case earlier this month special forces infiltrated deep into the south of the country to capture a commander of the Islamic Group. Hebrew media reported that the decision to capture the commander, Atwi Atwi, was taken to obtain intelligence on the group’s activities not just in Lebanon, but also in Syria.

The Islamic Group is the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Sunni group’s military wing, the al-Fajr Forces, fought alongside Hezbollah and Hamas branch in Lebanon against the Israeli after the outbreak of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

The MDO is not the first group to emerge in southern Syria with the goal of fighting Israel. Last year, a group, dubbed the Islamic Resistance Front in Syria, was formed by figures linked to the former regime, and adopted a narrative opposing the new government. Its military activities in southern Syria very much ceased after February of last year, and it has so far failed to amass wide public support in the region.

Being a Sunni group — like the majority of the population of southern Syria — and supportive of the country’s new government, the MDO has a better chance of succeeding, especially considering that many supporters of the current government are very sympathetic to both Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood in general.

Damascus, from its side, could opt to use the group as an asset to pressure Israel. However, it is more likely that the government will crack down on the group, especially if a security agreement with Israel is reached. This could, however, weaken support for Sharaa in southern Syria.

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