World Tribune (Link) (December 2, 2011)
Israel has sent additional forces to its borders with Lebanon and Syria.
The Saudi-owned Al Hayat daily, quoting Israeli security sources, said the deployment was meant to counter any attack from its northern neighbors amid increasing international pressure on Iran, Syria and Hizbullah.
“Israel has decided to deploy three armored units at its northern border with Syria and Lebanon in fear that Arab economic sanctions on Syria would inflame the region,” Al Hayat said.
In a report on Nov. 28, the London-based daily said Israel has joined six other Middle East countries that have raised their military preparedness in wake of Arab and Western sanctions on the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Al Hayat said Israel was retaining the option of sending additional military units to the Syrian border.
“It also has stepped up its work to complete the security fence surrounding the Syrian border and digging trenches,” Al Hayat said.
Israeli sources said the military deployment along the frontiers with Lebanon and Syria took place amid unprecedented Iranian activity in the Levant. The sources were quoted as saying that Iran has maintained an air resupply of the Syrian Army, including weapons and troops from Hizbullah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Al Hayat said Russia has also helped the Assad military. The newspaper said the Kremlin has sent such advanced weapons as the Pantsyr-S1 mobile short-range air defense system, meant to intercept low-flying helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. †
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