Syrian mortar shell lands in Golan Heights

Army says that incident was accidental spillover; no injury or damage reported

By ToI Staff 15 September 2014, 12:00 pm 1

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Smoke rises from the Syrian village of Quneitra, as seen from the Israeli Golan Heights, on August 27, 2014 (photo credit: AFP/JACK GUEZ)

Fighting from Syria again spilled over into Israel again on Monday morning as a mortar shell struck near the Israeli side of the Quneitra crossing in the Golan Heights, the army said.

There were no injuries or damage reported.

Artillery from Syria has landed frequently on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights for the past few weeks as Syrian regime forces and rebel factions battled for the Quneitra crossing, with the rebels reportedly gaining control of almost the entire Syrian border with Israel.

On Friday night a mortar shell exploded on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights, in what authorities believe was a stray from fighting across the border. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

Meanwhile, Israel Radio reported that UN peacekeepers were evacuating the equipment from Camp Faouar, their main headquarters in Syria, to Israel.

UN troops were bringing their gear over the border via special gates opened for them by the IDF, according to the report, and not through the rebel-controlled Quneitra crossing. Only a small Fijian force is expected to remain at the base in a few days.