Spillover from Syria as rebel factions announce new offensive
Yoav Zitun, Roi Kaiis, Ahiya Raved|/Ynetnews/September 10/16
Once again, spillover has occured from the Syrian civil war as an artillery shell exploded in the northern Golan Heights; spillover comes as Syrian rebels announce major operation in Qunietra border region; the Israeli Air Force has returned fire and hit a Syrian artillery position.
An explosion was heard Saturday afternoon in the northern Golan Heights. No damage or injuries were reported. The explosion is believed to be the result of spillover from the civil war in Syria.
The 366th Armored Division, responsible for the Golan Heights, is still unsure as to whether or not the explosion was caused by a rocket or a mortar. This is the third time in a week that fighting has spilled over into Israel from the fighting in Syria.
The Israeli Air Force attacked a Syrian artillery position in response to the spillover. The IDF said that the army views the Syrian military as responsible for anything emanating from its territory, and will not tolerate any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty or threaten Israel’s citizens.
Mortar fire landed deep inside Israel earlier in the week, and the IDF retaliated by hitting Syrian positions several hours later. The artillery round in that instance landed 10 kilometers inside of Israeli territory.
Several rebel units which are operating on the border with Israel announced that they had begun a massive operation against the Assad regime, its supporters, and its allies on Saturday. Amongst the groups included in this declaration are Ahrar al-Sham and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, which was formerly al-Qaida in Syria.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah claimed on Saturday that the Syrian Army stopped a rebel attack on Syrian position north of the Syrian border town of Qunietra, and that the rebels sustained large numbers of killed and wounded.
Hezbollah also noted that the rebels fired a rocket towards the Syrian Druze town of Hader on the Syrian side of the border, yet the rocket missed.
