Israeli jets hit Syrian targets in response to earlier projectile strike
IAF takes out several Syrian army launchers; military says it holds Assad regime responsible for errant shell that landed in Golan Heights
The Israeli Air Force overnight Wednesday-Thursday hit a number of rocket launchers belonging to the Syrian army after a projectile from the neighboring country struck an open area on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights earlier Wednesday evening.
The shell caused no injuries or damage, after reportedly landing in an open field in Kibbutz Merom Golan.
The Israeli military said spillover projectiles will not be tolerated and that Israel holds the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad responsible.
The raging civil war in Syria has generated a number of such incidents over the years.
Israel has said it holds the Syrian regime responsible for all errant fire, regardless of the source, and frequently retaliates against stray missile strikes inside its territory.
On Sunday, a mortar round fired from Syria hit an open area on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights demilitarized zone, causing no injuries or damage. In response, the IDF later on Sunday struck Syrian Army artillery targets on the Golan Heights.
Syrian opposition sources reported intense shelling of the village of Hamidiyah, in the DMZ, at around the time of the response. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the Israeli strikes.
Last month, a mortar round hit a minefield on the Israeli side of the Golan, causing no damage or injuries. In response, the IDF targeted a Syrian Army target on the opposite side of the DMZ.
The Syrian Golan has been the site of intense fighting in recent years between Assad regime forces and the al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate.
More recently, the area has seen burgeoning activity by Hezbollah and Iran’s al-Quds Force aimed at opening a new potential front against Israel in any future conflict.
