Off the wire
• DR Congo opposition rejects facilitator for political dialogue  • U.S. stocks decline ahead of Fed Meeting  • U.S. CDC extends timeframe for testing pregnant women with possible Zika exposure  • LME base metals mostly decrease on Monday  • The JSE closes higher with positive gains in financial and industrial stocks  • Spanish stock market falls 0.28 pct, closes at 8,575 points  • Iran urges cooperation with Pakistan to counter terrorism  • Leading portals scolded for management loopholes  • China to put steel plants under strict environment scrutiny  • Roundup: Nepalese president asks parties to form new gov't within a week  
You are here: 　 Home

Errant Syrian mortar hits Israeli-annexed Golan Heights

Xinhua, July 26, 2016 Adjust font size:

An errant mortar from Syria hit the Israeli-held Golan Heights on Monday, causing no injuries, the Israeli army said.

"Moments ago, fire from the internal fighting in Syria hit an open area near the security fence in the central Golan Heights," a statement by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said on Monday.

No Injuries or damages were reported, the army said.

Errant fire from the fighting in Syria has been occasionally spilling over to Israel, usually causing no casualties or damages.

Israel had occupied the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed the territory in 1981.

Last week, the Israeli army failed to intercept an unmanned aerial vehicle from Syria over the Golan Heights, despite launching two Patriot air defense missiles at it, the IDF spokesperson said. The drone had apparently returned to Syria.

Israel had repeatedly declared it would not intervene with the internal fighting in Syria, amid the civil war that broke out in 2011. It did deliver medical treatment to hundreds of wounded Syrians who reached the border.

Israel had also been responsible for several airstrikes in Syria in the past several years, allegedly targeting convoys carrying weapons from Iran and Syria to the Lebanese Hezbollah militant organization, a staunch enemy of Israel.

The country remained quiet on its part on these attacks up until two months ago, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that Israel carried out "dozens" of attacks across the border with Syria. Endit