Syrian government forces have pulled heavy weapons out of the country's south, where neighbouring Israel has demanded a demilitarised zone, a military official said Tuesday.
"Syrian forces have withdrawn their heavy weapons from southern Syria," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding the process began around two months ago after deadly sectarian violence in Druze-majority Sweida province.
Israel, which has its own Druze community, bombed Syria during the violence, saying it was acting to defend the minority group as well as to enforce its demands for the demilitarisation of southern Syria.
Separately, a diplomatic source in Damascus told AFP on condition of anonymity that the heavy weapons withdrawal includes the country's south up to about 10 kilometres (six miles) south of the capital.
Last week, President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Syria was negotiating with Israel to reach a security agreement that would see Israel leave areas it occupied after the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.
As Islamist-led forces toppled Assad on December 8, Israel deployed troops to the UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights which has separated Israeli and Syrian forces since an armistice that followed the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
Israel has also launched hundreds of air strikes on targets in Syria and carried out incursions deeper into the south.
The diplomatic source said a new meeting between Syrian and Israeli officials would be held in Baku on Friday.
Israel and Syria have no diplomatic relations, with the two countries technically at war since 1948.
Last month, Syrian state media said Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer had met in Paris to discuss de-escalation and the situation in Sweida.
AFP
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