Russian troops have recently launched excavations at the Yarmouk refugee camp cemetery in south Damascus in search of an Israeli soldier's remains, Channel 12 News reported Saturday, citing Syrian media.
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Local reports suggested that the Russian military was looking to identify the body of an IDF soldier who had fallen in the 1982 Lebanon War.
According to the report, on Feb. 4, the Russians began digging operations, using special equipment to analyze DNA samples at the site.
The perimeters of the cemetery were deemed a closed military area by the Russians and citizens were prohibited from entry.
Two years ago, the remains of Sgt. Zacharia Baumel, who was killed in the Battle of Sultan Yacoub in 1982, were retrieved with Moscow's help and returned to Israel.
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Baumel was laid to rest at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem in a special ceremony attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
