Syrian man shot by IDF after allegedly placing explosives at Golan border
Military says troops cross security barrier to arrest several suspects throwing anti-personnel mines at northern security fence
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A Syrian man was shot and seriously wounded by Israeli troops after he allegedly attempted to place mines along the border in the southern Golan Heights on Monday.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, soldiers monitoring surveillance cameras spotted four suspects hurling unidentified objects at the security barrier in the area.
Troops dispatched to the scene crossed the fence, which is located within Israeli territory, and opened fire at the suspects, injuring one, the IDF said.
The military said the wounded suspect was arrested and taken to a hospital in Israel.
The Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Tiberias said it had admitted the suspect, who was listed in serious and unstable condition.
The military later confirmed that the unidentified objects hurled at the border were anti-personnel mines.
In 2020, Israel accused Iran’s elite Quds Force of planting explosives in Israeli territory along the border.
In recent years Israel has conducted numerous strikes along the border targeting Hezbollah and Iranian efforts to entrench themselves in the country.
Israel says it is trying to prevent Iran, one of the Syrian government’s key allies in the decade-old civil war, from gaining a permanent military foothold on its doorstep.
Last month, an Israeli tank reportedly opened fire toward several suspects who approached the border close to the Syrian town of Hameidiyyeh. Two people were hurt.
Much of the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau, was captured by Israel from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed.
