Jerusalem, April 10: Israel launched artillery strikes on Syria on Sunday morning, the Israeli Army announced, after several rockets were fired from there and landed in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Israel’l retaliatory strike to rocket attacks from Syria – which no one has claimed – is the latest episode in escalating violence in the region. “In response to the rockets fired from Syria at Israel, IDF Artillery is striking in Syrian territory,” the Israeli Military said, on twitter. A drone was also “currently striking the launchers” in Syria from which rockets were launched into Israeli territory.
Six rockets were launched towards Israel on Saturday night, with two landing in the Golan Heights, the Army said. At least one was intercepted by the Israeli Air defense system.
The 1200-Kms region patrolled by Israeli soldiers bordering Lebanon was seized from Syria in the 1967 war. Israel later annexed it I a move that was never recognized by the international community.
Syrian state news agency SANA said the Israeli strikes took place around 5 AM local time.
Citing an unnamed military source, SANA said Syria’s military had “intercepted the rocket and brought down some of them. The surge in violence and unrest comes as the Muslim fasting month of Ramzan, Jewish Passover and Christian Easter coincide.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the armed movements Hezbollah and Hamas have met in Beirut to discuss “the readiness of the axis of resistance” against Israel, a Hezbollah statement said on Sunday.
Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which rules Gaza Strip, has been in Beirut since Wednesday. Israel blamed Hamas for firing 34 rockets towards its territory from Southern Lebanon, from stronghold of the Iran backed Shiite movement Hezbollah.
Israel’s Army, on the other hand, retaliated early on Friday with strikes on Lebanon and Gaza, after rockets targeting Israel were also fired from the coastal enclave. Israel has since been calling all its reservists from the Police and the Army giving an indication that the conflict could escalate in the next coming days.
EOM
