DAMACUS (Dispatches) -- The regime in Damascus, now controlled by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) under Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, has formally requested the Russian military to resume patrols along Syria’s southern border. 
This move, reported by Russian media, underscores Damascus’s belief that a renewed Russian presence could help deter Israeli incursions, which have escalated since the fall of the Assad government.
Since HTS took control last year following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government, southern Syria has seen an intensification of Israeli military aggression. 
Zionist forces have expanded their presence through regular raids and airstrikes, targeting strategic sites including Syria’s Defense Ministry and Presidential Palace in Damascus. Despite these ongoing aggressions, HTS has failed to mount a significant military response.
This failure is rooted in several factors. The downfall of Assad’s government left Syria’s military infrastructure fragmented. HTS, initially a militant group with takfiri origins, now faces the challenge of governing a country rife with internal divisions and fractured armed factions. Its inability to unify these forces has severely limited its capacity to organize an effective defense against Israel.
Moreover, HTS’s cautious stance reflects a strategic calculation. Israel’s military superiority and advanced intelligence capabilities make direct confrontation risky and potentially devastating for HTS-controlled areas. 
Internally, HTS must manage sectarian tensions which it is stirring and fragile alliances, and avoid further destabilization that could undermine its rule. This cautious approach has led HTS to prioritize political consolidation over military retaliation.
In this context, the request for Russian forces to resume patrols