Syria launched surface-to-surface rocket in response to Israeli raid — reports

In a highly irregular move, the rocket that was intercepted over the Golan on Sunday was fired from Syria deliberately, according to Israeli media, as a retaliatory attack in response to an airstrike earlier in the day, which was widely attributed to Israel.

In the past, most incoming projectiles following Israeli airstrikes were believed to be errant anti-aircraft missiles, rather than intentionally fired offensive surface-to-surface rocket attacks, as was the case on Sunday, army officials told a number of news outlets.

The rocket was shot down by the Israeli military’s Iron Dome missile defense system before it breached Israeli airspace, causing no damage.

It is not immediately clear how the IDF, and its new commander Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, would respond to the Syrian attack. Kohavi began his tenure last week and was visiting the IDF Northern Command at the time of the rocket attack.

The projectile was fired shortly after Syrian state media said Israel had conducted a rare daylight missile attack in and around Damascus.

— Judah Ari Gross