‘Syrian gunmen’ were scrap metal collectors, IDF says
IDF troops fired across border fence late Tuesday at unidentified Syrians, who returned fire; ‘no terrorists entered Israel,’ spokesperson clarifies
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Withdrawing an earlier statement, the IDF on Wednesday denied reports that Syrian gunmen infiltrated an Israeli military outpost in the southern Golan Heights demilitarized zone late on Tuesday and fired on IDF personnel.
According to a statement by Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, the unidentified persons who entered the unmanned Israeli post located on the Syrian side of the border fence were scavenging for scrap metal. An IDF sentry opened fire on them with authorization from his superior and the Syrians returned fire.
“There was no infiltration of terrorists, it was not a manned guard outpost and there was no gunfire from Israeli territory at the IDF,” he wrote on his Facebook.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit told The Times of Israel earlier on Wednesday that “[Tuesday evening] suspicious movement was spotted in an unmanned IDF position, east of the fence, in the southern Golan Heights. Shots were fired at the patrol, which returned fire.”
There were no reports of injuries or damage.
Earlier Tuesday, the Golan Heights was hit by at least 10 mortar shells, assumed to have been shot by mistake during clashes between rebel and military forces near the border.
The IDF reported that it had filed a complaint with the UN peacekeeping forces in the Golan and requested that they bring an end to cross-border shelling.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said Israel would not hesitate to respond to fire with fire. “Once attacks from Syria endanger us or violate our sovereignty, we will identify the source of fire and destroy it,” Ya’alon said.
“We have set down red lines to protect our interests,” he added.
In the past, Israel has shot missiles at Syrian army positions in response to other incidents of errant mortar fire.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as well as to the president of the Security Council, urging them to condemn the Syrian violations in the Golan Heights.
“Israel has thus far shown maximum restraint and issued numerous warnings through UNDOF [the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force]. However, the Israeli government will not allow its citizens to be the ongoing victims of these attacks and will continue to exercise its right to self-defense, as appropriate, and take all necessary measures to protect its population,” wrote Prosor.
He warned that such violations threaten to further destabilize the region.
The Times of Israel Community.