Free Syrian Army fighter prepares to shot RPG at the Syrian Army in Homs, Syria. Photo: wiki commons.

The National – As fighting intensifies on Syria’s southern front, details have emerged that Israel may be paying large sums of money to rebels for information on Islamist fighters near its border.

At least three rebel factions in southern Syria have been in regular contact with Israeli intelligence officials, and have each received more than one tranche of funding worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to a well-connected rebel commander who is familiar with operations in the zone bordering Jordan and Israel.

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