Off the wire
• Africa Focus: AU urges renewed action to combat Boko Haram  • Nigeria's ruling party condemns attack on president's campaign team  • Lebanese army chief vows to eliminate terrorism  • Latvian political parties fined for breaking financing rules ahead of European Parliament election  • Yemeni president accepts Houthi demands for sharing power  • Putin voices confidence to go through economic hardship  • Dagong Europe affirms AA- long term credit rating on Euler Hermes SA, outlook stable  • NATO uses Latvian embassy in Minsk as contact point for Belarus  • Gulf countries condemn "coup d'etat" in Yemen by Houthis  • LME base metals rise mostly on Wednesday  
You are here: 　 Home

Israel beefs up security in north after airstrike in Syria

Xinhua, January 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

Israel has put on alert its air force and sent troop reinforcements to northern part after an airstrike in Syria killed senior Hezbollah members and an Iranian general, Israeli defense officials said on Wednesday.

As part of steps designed to boost readiness, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have increased its presence in the north, in the form of artillery, infantry, and armored units, said the officials, quoted by local media.

The Israel Air Force has gone on alert to decrease response times to incidents. And Iron Dome air defense batteries have been deployed to the north.

Additional steps include decreasing IDF activities along the border, and delaying activities that are not urgent.

Northern Israel has been alarmed since Tuesday for potential fallout from an air strike that killed 12 Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps members in the Syria-held part of Golan Heights.

Both Hezbollah and Iran have accused Israel of being behind the airstrike and vowed to take revenge. Israel, however, has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.

The IDF identified suspicious activity on the Lebanese side of the northern border fence late on Wednesday, leading to road closures and local communities being put on alert.

According to Israeli media, residents near the border with Lebanon have been told to stay indoors due to possible security threats.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman held a special session of the security cabinet on Tuesday. The two-hour meeting reportedly focused on discussing a possible escalation of tensions in the north.

Israel and Hezbollah fought a bloody month-long war in the summer of 2006. Endit