Intelligence War Raging in Syria

World Today

Away from the headline making carnage that has dominated coverage of the war in Syria–an equally desperate battle is being played out. An intelligence war is raging and not just within the country’s borders between the rebels and the Syrian government, but also involving the spy agencies of the countries supporting the opposition. CCTV’s ALaa Ebrahim has this report.

Intelligence War Raging in Syria

Away from the headline making carnage that has dominated coverage of the war in Syria--an equally desperate battle is being played out. An intelligence war is raging and not just within the country's borders between the rebels and the Syrian government, but also involving the spy agencies of the countries supporting the opposition. CCTV’s ALaa Ebrahim has this report.

A hidden aspect of Syria’s three-year-old insurgency–these night-time images were taken of a smuggler’s route across the desert that links Syria and Jordan.

According to government sources the footage shows an ambush carried out by the Syrian Army surprising fighters from the Army of Islam, one of the rebel factions fighting to topple President Bashar Al-Assad.

A series of successful ambushes against the rebels ‘on the move’ has led experts to speculate that the Syrian government might be winning the covert war.

Dr. Nizar Mayhoub , political analyst and security expert, says,”We have the Syrian army being able to anticipate and counter more moves by the militants which lead us to believe that the the information gathering techniques of the military is improving and that the ability to coordinate attacks according to intel is also improving.”

Ambushes are not the only indicator of recent government successes, raids have resulted in seized rebel weapons.

The government side claims it is also receiving valuable information about the opposition’s extensive network of tunnels.

The rebels are increasingly going underground to launch raids on military installations, including this base on the outskirts of Damascus which was attacked in September.

To counter the enemy’s mining activities the Syrian Army has adopted new tactics, here in the Damascus suburb of Barzeh, it detonates explosives under a rebel headquarters in an operation designed to collapse the tunnels.

A Military officer tells the reporter, “the terrorists have the help of major intelligence agencies from around the world and they a technological edge on us , they receive intel and satellite imaging in addition to logistics.”

Syrian Government sources believe countries that are materially supporting the opposition groups in Syria are also providing them with intelligence about Syrian troop movements and military facilities.

Information they claim which has led to deadly clashes including the Ghouta chemical attack in 2013, an incident that almost saw America enter the war in Syria.