Special to WorldTribune.com

TEL AVIV — Israel’s military has been bracing for the arrival of Islamic State of Iraq and Levant in the Golan Heights.

Officials said Military Intelligence has been warning of the prospect of ISIL penetration of the Syrian-controlled part of the Golan. They said ISIL has already infiltrated Islamic rebel militias in the provinces of Dera and Quneitra.

“The assessment is that ISIL can quickly bring a significant number of agents or fighters to the area [Golan],” an official said.

On Nov. 27, the Israel Army completed a five-day exercise on the Golan meant to increase monitoring of neighboring Syrian provinces. Islamic rebels, led by Al Qaida’s Nusra Front for the Defense of Levant, was said to control at least 90 percent of the Syrian Golan.

The exercise, held in heavy rain and wind, was conducted by the army’s Combat Intelligence Collection Corps. The corps’ Vulture Battalion, which operates air and land reconnaissance platforms, was said to have trained for a range of intelligence-gathering scenarios amid an attack from Syria.

“The lack of governance [in Syria] can bring us unexpected events,” squadron commander Lt. Col. Itai Dinour said.

So far, Israel has not been threatened by the Sunni revolt in Syria as that of such neighbors as Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The army has acknowledged providing medical and other aid to Syrians, many of whom were believed to be rebels.

“The situation is calm at the moment.” Dinour said. “But we continue to be alert and keep our eyes open. The Syrian sector is dynamic and changing, which requires the battalion to study the various threats it’s facing, especially from terrorist groups.”

  Israeli intel warns of ISIL penetration of Syrian positions in Golan, WorldTribune.com