Middle East
The silhouette of an Israeli soldier is outlined in the sky by a flare fired to search for a rocket that landed near Kibbutz Meitsar in the Israeli annexed Golan Heights, April 9, 2023. Photo: Jalaa Marey/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Israel said it launched artillery strikes targeting Syria, adding the operation was launched in response to Syrian rockets being fired and landing in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, as tension in the region continues to escalate.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that retaliatory strikes were targeting Syria after it said that three rockets were launched from there with two crossing into Israeli territory, and one being intercepted.
“In response to the rockets fired from Syria at Israel earlier today, IDF Artillery is currently striking in Syrian territory,” the IDF tweeted.
It added that a drone was “currently striking the launchers in Syria from which rockets were launched into Israeli territory earlier tonight.”
Syrian state media confirmed the Israeli attacks shortly after. “Our aerial defense countered an Israeli aggression, which targeted various points in southern areas, and a few of the aggressor’s rockets were taken down,” SANA reported, citing a military source.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that Israeli warplanes and drones targeted several points in south Syria including Suwayda countryside, Daraa countryside, and other points near Quneitra.
No casualties were reported in the strikes on Syria.
Jordan’s army announced that a rocket had exploded on Saturday evening, with debris landing near the border with Syria. It added that the debris “did not cause any casualties or damage.”
“The IDF holds the Syrian state responsible for what happens inside its territory and will not allow attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty,” the Israeli army added.
The Golan Heights were previously controlled by Syria but were seized by Israel during the Six Day War in 1967 and annexed in 1981, although this is not recognized by most of the international community.
The attacks come at a time of escalating violence in the region. On Wednesday, Israeli police stormed Al-Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site, with videos on social media showing them violently attacking Palestinian worshippers. The next day, a barrage of rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel, with the Israeli army blaming Palestinian groups.
Israel then launched airstrikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip as well as southern Lebanon, claiming to target infrastructure linked to Hamas. This marked the biggest escalation between Lebanon and Israel since the 2006 war.
Both countries are technically at war with each other, with a ceasefire being monitored by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIL).
Israel has targeted Syria multiple times over the past few months, claiming to target the Iran-backed militants positioned in the country.
Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on regime-controlled areas of Syria throughout its 11-year civil war, often claiming to target pro-Iran militias, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah group, which supports the Syrian army. However, it very rarely claims responsibility for attacks on Syria.
Additional reporting by Aveen Karim
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