JERUSALEM - Israeli troops recently detained an individual in Syria it said was an Iranian operative who had gathered intelligence on Israeli troops in the border area, the Israeli military said on Sunday.

       The military named the person as Ali Soleiman al-Assi, a Syrian citizen from the area of Saida in southern Syria. It said the operation took place in recent months but gave no exact date.

       "The operation by Israel Defense Forces troops to detain al-Assi prevented a future attack and led to the exposure of the operational methods of Iranian terror networks located near the Golan Heights," the military said.

       Al-Assi was brought to Israel for investigation, it said. REUTERS