Israel targets Syria with jet strikes and artillery fire

Israel’s military attacked targets in Syria after it launched six rockets in two batches towards Israel.

The rare attack from Israel’s northeastern neighbour comes amid tension after Israeli forces stormed one of Jerusalem’s most holy mosques in a raid during the holy month of Ramadan, sparking anger in the Arab community.

In the first attack, on Saturday, one rocket landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Fragments of another destroyed missile fell into Jordan’s territory near the Syrian border, according to the country’s military.

In the second barrage, which was launched early Sunday, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one being intercepted and the second landing in an open area, the Israeli military said.

After the second barrage of three rockets, Israel initially said it responded with artillery fire into the area in Syria where the rockets were fired from.

The military later said Israeli fighter jets attacked Syrian army sites, including a compound of Syria’s 4th Division and radar and artillery posts.

There were no reports of casualties.

A Damascus-based Palestinian group loyal to the Syrian regime claimed responsibility for launching the three missiles on Saturday, as per Beirut’s Al Mayadeen TV.

The report quoted Al-Quds Brigade, a militia different to the larger Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s armed wing with a similar name, as saying it fired the rockets to retaliate for the police raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Israeli Defence Forces released a statement and said it “sees the state of Syria responsible for all activities occurring within its territory and will not allow any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty”.

The cross-border attacks come amid tension in Lebanon, Gaza, occupied East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

The raid of the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, during the rare convergence of Ramadan, Passover and Easter, has heightened tension and led to attacks in the country.

On Friday, two British-Israeli sisters were killed in a gun attack near an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, allegedly by Palestinian gunmen.

The attack had come after Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes at Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

In Syria, an adviser to president Bashar Assad described the latest rocket strikes as “part of the previous, present and continuing response to the brutal enemy”.

Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in parts of Syria controlled by the government in recent years, something the former has rarely acknowledged, reported the Associated Press. The attacks have been carried out in a bid to clear Iranian entrenchment.

Syria claimed Israel has carried out 10 attacks in the country so far this year.

Meanwhile, the US Navy has deployed a guided-missile submarine capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk missiles to the Middle East, a spokesperson said on Saturday.

The US’s move appears to be a show of force towards Iran following recent tensions.

Additional reporting by agencies