Life for Israelis living on the Golan Heights has changed as the war in neighboring Syria draws ever closer, an IDF colonel said Tuesday, as three errant projectiles hit the plateau in one day.
A week-long, US-and Russia-brokered ceasefire, which started at sunset Monday, would not stop the projectiles, Col. (res.) Kobi Marom — a local resident and former deputy commander of the Golan-based Hermon Brigade — told Israel Radio.
“The reality along the Golan has changed over the past few weeks. With his self-confidence and Iranian and Russian assistance, [Syrian President Bashar] Assad is successfully managing to reclaim property and land….and he’s pushing the rebels once again towards the border with Israel and so the shooting now comes as no a surprise.”
Marom said he expects more projectiles to land on the Golan in the coming days.
IDF forces in the Golan Heights, illustrative (Basal Awidat/Flash90)
On Tuesday morning, Israel’s army said it struck artillery positions belonging to the Syrian regime from the air, in response to mortar fire that struck the Golan Heights on Monday.
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On Saturday, too, a mortar shell exploded in the area, prompting an Israeli retaliation. A military spokeswoman said the projectile was most likely unintentional spillover from the internal fighting in Syria. A short time later, the Israeli Air Force struck artillery targets belonging to the Syrian army, the IDF said.
A picture taken from the Golan Heights on September 10, 2016, shows smoke rising from the Syrian village of Jubata al-Khashab. Israeli aircraft struck Syrian army positions after fire from its war-torn neighbor hit the Golan. (AFP/Jalaa Marey)
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