On Saturday, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced the seizure of 47 drones and 46 projectiles in an abandoned site west of the governorate, likely belonging to one of the armed factions that enjoy broad military influence in those areas.
The security development in Anbar coincides with attacks carried out by armed factions against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which observers believe, with a degree of cautious optimism, that the authorities are serious about putting an end to these attacks.
The Ministry of Interior said, in a statement, “Based on accurate intelligence information, detachments of the Anbar Governorate Police Command were able to seize an abandoned site in the 35th area, which was previously used as a tire repair shop, and found inside it quantities of drones, projectiles, and equipment related to their operation.”
The ministry added, "The inspection resulted in the seizure of 47 drones and 46 projectiles prepared for connection and use with these aircraft, as well as control devices, batteries, equipment, and other related materials in the 35th area in Anbar."
The site was secured and all seized items were seized, while the competent authorities began their investigative and technical procedures to find out the source of these materials and the parties associated with them, and to take the necessary legal measures in accordance with the rules and regulations, according to the statement.
Security sources in the governorate believe that the seized aircraft and materials belong to one of the armed factions loyal to Iran and operating under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces.
The sources confirm that “the security leaders are seeking to prevent Anbar Governorate from turning into a platform for launching missiles at neighboring countries.”
Anbar Governorate, with its vast area and borders, is linked to three Arab countries: Jordan, Syria, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As a result, the sources confirm that it “represents a strategic priority for the armed factions and Iran, as it was the main corridor for transferring weapons to the regime of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and to the Lebanese Hezbollah.”
According to security information, many parties operate within the governorate. In addition to the official army and police forces, there are forces from local groups and clans, some of which are under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces. Factions known for their ties to Iran also operate, such as the Hezbollah Brigades, which have three brigades in the Popular Mobilization Forces and are considered the most influential in western Anbar.
The Al-Nujaba Movement, as well as the Sayyid Al-Shuhada Brigades, are also active in Anbar, and sources indicate that they are present in areas near the Iraqi-Syrian border in coordination with other security formations. There is a presence of fighters affiliated with Asaib Ahl al-Haq and the Badr Organization in various areas in the governorate, but they are relatively far from the border with Syria, according to the sources.
The geographic nature of the governorate, represented by extended deserts, rugged valleys, and abandoned military sites, provides an ideal environment for the factions to establish weapons depots and bases for launching and storing drones and missile projectiles, away from the direct control of the state center.
During the Iranian-American war last March, local reports said that forces affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces and the factions left their positions and redeployed away from the border areas.
On August 31, the Anbar Sector Operations Commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces, Qasim Musleh, denied evacuating the Mobilization Forces’ headquarters in Anbar, stressing that the units would continue to perform their security duties normally.
Musleh said, in a statement, that the units of the Anbar Sector Operations Command continue to carry out their duties within the areas of responsibility, with high levels of readiness and preparedness, noting that all headquarters and units are working in accordance with the approved security plans.
On Saturday, Syria renewed its rejection of the violation of its sovereignty and the entry of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into its territory, while the occupation forces continued to escalate their artillery shelling and their ongoing, week-long incursion into areas surrounding the town of Beit Jinn, located on the slopes of Mount Sheikh in the western Damascus countryside.
This comes amid local fears of an Israeli incursion into the town and the occurrence of a scenario similar to what happened in late 2025, when dozens of town residents were killed and injured as a result of clashes that occurred between residents and an occupation patrol that entered the town.
Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Asaad Al-Shaibani, said in a post on the “X” platform: “In the presence and support of more than 40 countries from around the world, Syria affirmed in a clear and responsible voice before the UN Security Council its rejection of the violation of its sovereignty and the entry of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into its territory, renewing its adherence to the country’s unity, the independence of its decisions and the integrity of its territories.”
Al-Shaibani added: “We appreciate the rapid response of the international position in support of the Syrian Arab Republic in the face of the continuing Israeli violations, and we congratulate this consensus, which confirms that respect for the independence of states and their territorial integrity is a firm principle of the international system.”
He pointed out that “Syria will continue its responsible approach, based on the provisions of international law and the United Nations Charter, and will continue to defend its national rights by all legitimate political and diplomatic means.” He stressed that “Syria’s security, stability, and territorial integrity are a common interest for Syrians and the international community alike, and from this standpoint we will continue to work to consolidate stability and enhance respect for the rules of international law.”
On Friday, delegates from a number of member states of the United Nations, in the presence of the Syrian delegate, Ibrahim Olabi, organized a stand before the Security Council in New York to denounce Netanyahu’s unauthorized entry into Syrian territory, and to affirm Syria’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.
On September 9, Netanyahu, accompanied by Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, carried out a parade on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, where Israeli forces are deployed in the area.
At that time, Syria condemned “in the strongest terms the illegal entry of the Israeli occupation prime minister into Syrian territory and his tour of Mount Hermon,” stressing that “this provocative step constitutes a flagrant violation of Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and international law.”
Syria held the Israeli occupation “fully responsible for the repercussions of these violations,” calling on the United Nations, international organizations, and active states “to assume their responsibilities to stop these attacks and return to the Disengagement Agreement.”
Meanwhile, local sources in the town of Beit Jinn, Asharq Al-Awsat, reported that more than 10 Israeli military vehicles and two tanks entered agricultural land belonging to the village of Beit Jinn Farm, located east of the town, a few hours after it was bombarded with an artillery shell in the Ain al-Shaara area north of the town, where the shell fell on agricultural land, according to what the Syrian Al-Ikhbariya channel reported.
This came after the Israeli forces targeted, last Friday, two artillery shells in the vicinity of “Beit Jinn Farm,” after they targeted the same area the same morning with an artillery shell, and fired artillery shells that fell in the vicinity of “Bat al-Warda” hill on the outskirts of the town.
The Israeli army also targeted the “Bat al-Warda” hill on the evening of September 5 with artillery shelling, which was preceded on the fourth and third of the same month by targeting the area’s perimeter with 4 shells each day, without recording human casualties or material damage, after an Israeli drone targeted a civilian car on the town’s road. Which led to several civilian casualties.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, local sources expressed their fears of a repeat of what happened on November 28, 2025, when an Israeli army patrol penetrated the town of Beit Jinn. Which led to the outbreak of violent clashes with local residents, resulting in the killing of 13 people from the town and the injury of 24 others.
The escalation of the Israeli occupation forces comes from its incursions and attacks into the western countryside of Damascus, in conjunction with its continued incursions and attacks on towns and villages in the countryside of the Daraa and Quneitra governorates and adjacent to the ceasefire line, which it began since the first day of the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024.
Seven prisoners were killed as a result of a fire that broke out during riots in a prison in Kobani (Ain al-Arab), which has a Kurdish majority in the far north of Syria, according to what official media reported on Saturday, after violence took place in the city following the killing of a former Kurdish fighter.
These incidents come despite the return of relative calm to the north and northeast of the country, especially with the announcement of the dissolution of the “Syrian Democratic Forces” in August in implementation of the integration agreement between the Kurds and Damascus.
On Saturday, Syrian official television reported, “Seven prisoners were killed and dozens sustained burns and suffocation cases as a result of a disturbance in Ayn al-Arab Kobani prison in the Aleppo countryside.”
He pointed out that "during the riot, the prisoners set fires in the prison and it spread to a number of dormitories."
On Friday, violence erupted in Kobani during protests against the killing of a former Kurdish fighter, according to state television, which reported that “outlaws” attacked security forces’ vehicles in the city center and the Internal Security Directorate building.
The body of Sami Sheikhmus Hesso, known as Siban, was found with bullet wounds on Thursday in Al-Hasakah Governorate (northeast), after reports emerged of his kidnapping.
Kurds gathered in several locations in northern and northeastern Syria to protest his killing.
The Governor of Al-Hasakah, Nour Al-Din Ahmed, condemned “in the strongest terms the heinous crime that claimed the life of the young man, Sami Sheikhmous Hasso, in an unacceptable incident that contradicts human, moral and legal values.”
On Friday morning, Siban Hamo, a prominent Kurdish military leader and Assistant Minister of Defense for the Eastern Region, mourned Hesso, announcing that the competent authorities had arrested a number of those involved in his killing.
In January, the Syrian authorities that took power after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, and the Kurds who controlled large areas of northern and northeastern Syria, reached a comprehensive agreement that stipulated the gradual integration of Kurdish self-administration institutions into the framework of the state.
In August, the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, announced the completion of the process of merging the Kurdish civilian and military institutions in the Syrian state, before announcing the dissolution of his forces a few days later.
In late August, Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa appointed Abdi as a presidential advisor.
The city of Kobani holds prominent symbolism for the Kurds, as in 2015 it witnessed fierce battles between the Kurdish units and ISIS, after which the Kurdish fighters expelled the organization.
