Syrian government control of Damascus weakening, Israel says

Syrian government control of Damascus is slipping and President Bashar Assad has redeployed troops from areas near the Israeli border to bolster his forces around the city, Israel’s army intelligence chief said on Tuesday.

“The Syrian military is acting very brutally, which shows the regime is desperate. Its control of Damascus is getting weaker,” Major-General Aviv Kochavi told a parliamentary committee, according to a Knesset spokesman who briefed reporters on his remarks.

“Assad has moved many of his forces that were in the Golan Heights to the conflict areas,” Kochavi said. “He’s not afraid of Israel at this point, but primarily wants to bolster his forces around Damascus.”

Writing by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Kevin Liffey