Israel Says It Strikes Syria Targets in Response to Border Incident
By Reuters & Algemeiner Staff | August 3, 2020
Israeli aircraft attacked targets in Syria on Monday, the military said, describing the strikes as retaliation for an attempted bombing of the border fence by a terrorist squad.
Tensions have risen along Israel‘s northern front since a fighter with the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah was killed in an apparent Israeli air strike on the edge of the Syrian capital of Damascus two weeks ago.
Monday’s strikes hit Syrian observation posts, intelligence collection systems, anti-aircraft batteries and command-and-control bases, an Israeli military statement said.
Syrian state media said Israeli helicopters fired at Syrian checkpoints in al-Qunaitra, on the Golan Heights, causing material losses. There was no immediate word of any casualties.
The Israeli military said it was responding to an attempt by a group of four people to plant explosives on a patrolled fence along the Golan armistice line between Israel and Syria.
In that incident, reported by Israel early on Monday, the military fired on the squad. Surveillance video showed the group engulfed in an explosion. An Israeli military spokesman referred to them as “former terrorists,” suggesting they had been killed.
The military spokesman, Lt-Col. Jonathan Conricus, said it was too soon to say if the squad belonged to any organization, but that Israel held “the Syrian regime accountable.”
There was no comment from Syria on the fence incident.
This is the moment when four terrorists attempted to plant explosives near the security fence between #Israel and #Syria last night…
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 3, 2020
…and the moment we stopped them.
We will continue to defend Israel's borders from all enemy threats. pic.twitter.com/bQPGPiJFlg
The overnight encounter occurred at the same spot where until two years ago, Israel had operated a field hospital to treat Syrians who had been wounded in the Syrian civil war, Conricus told reporters.
Israel had noticed “irregular activity” in that area for about a week and had a commando team waiting there in ambush, Conricus said.
Weapons & a bag containing explosives were found just meters from the Israeli security fence between #Israel and #Syria.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 3, 2020
Last night, 4 terrorists attempted to plant & use them. We stopped them before they could.
We won’t allow any harm to Israel or our sovereignty. pic.twitter.com/G1RwWjSgAh
