IAF bombs Syrian target for third time in a week

Israel has made it a point to stay out of the Syrian civil war, but maintains constant readiness to respond to any fire aimed at its territory, whether intentional or not.

Israel’s Air Force (IAF) carried out an airstrike against a Syrian military position in the Golan Heights on Saturday in response to a mortar round fired from Syria into Israel earlier in the day.

The mortar round exploded in an open space, causing no casualties or damage.

The IDF said the target it attacked was a mortar position.

“The IDF views the Syrian regime as responsible for all events occurring in its territory, and will not tolerate any harming of Israel’s sovereignty and the security of its citizens,” an IDF spokesman stated.

In the past weeks there have been a growing number of incidents of fire spilling over from the Syrian civil war into Israeli territory. This was the third such incident in the past week.

Opposing factions in Syria’s civil war have been battling heavily in the Kuneitra area adjacent to Israel’s northern border, and Hezbollah and Iranian forces have reportedly joined in the foray.

While Israel has refrained from intervening in the Syrian conflict, the IDF has responded to stray fire from Syria with artillery shelling or an air strike against Syrian army or rebel positions, in most cases targeting the source of fire.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

Golan HeightsIAFStray fireSyriaSyrian Civil War