JERUSALEM, May 13 (UPI) -- Israel is concerned missiles and chemical weapons held by Syria could fall into the wrong hands if President Bashar Assad is ousted, officials said.
The Jerusalem Post reported Friday there is also a growing concern among Western intelligence agencies that Hezbollah might try to move advanced weaponry it keeps in Syria.
A senior Israeli Defense Force officer said Hezbollah and Iran are concerned about the outcome of protests in Syria.
Hezbollah is thought to have stored advanced arms in Syria, including long-range rockets, as part of its logistical deployment along Israel's northern border, Israeli officials say.
"They worry about what will happen to their axis that included Iran, Syria and Hezbollah if Assad falls," the Defense Force officer said.
The officer said Iran and Hezbollah have sent advisers to Syria to assist the military in quashing the growing protests.
Syria is a hub of activity for Hezbollah weaponry, the report said, with most of Hezbollah's weaponry manufactured in Syria or smuggled into Lebanon via Syria.
