The Syrian Defense Minister raised his army's alert level following IDF training exercises on the Golan Heights the past two days, Qatari newspaper Al-Watan reported on Wednesday. According to the report, Syrian army chief Hasan Turkmani upped the alert level in order to defend against possible Israeli aggression. Similar alerts were issued during the war against Hizbullah this summer. A Syrian military source told Al-Watan that the move was prompted by IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz's surprise visit to the area and "unusual mobilizations" of Israeli troops in the Golan Heights on Monday.