Syrian believed to have cut through border fence, set fire

A Syrian reportedly breached Israel’s new northern border fence, set a fire, and is thought to have escaped back into Syria early Sunday morning.

An army patrol responding to the blaze, near the settlement of Ramat Magshimim in the southern Golan Heights, discovered a hole in the border fence. There were indications that someone had crossed from Syria into Israel, according to a Channel 10 news report.

Israel recently revamped its northern border defenses, rebuilding the border fence and putting in trenches and nonlethal mines to prevent infiltration. The new measures were put in place after a number of people breached the fence during Nakba Day protests last spring.

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The stretch of fence where the hole was discovered is not as secure as in other areas along the border between Israel and Syria. Security officials will now decide whether or not to upgrade the current fence, Channel 10 reported.

Security officials declared a high state of alert Sunday as forces searched for the infiltrator and army trackers traced signs of movement leading from the breached fence to the location of the fire.

Investigators believe the arsonist escaped back into Syria.