Israel responds to rockets from Syria, strikes military targets

Israeli forces have struck multiple military targets in Syria in retaliation to six rockets being launched into the territory it controls overnight.

In a rare attack from its northeastern neighbour, Syria fired the rockets at Israel’s Golan Heights in two batches, but only three of the missiles fell within Israeli territory and no one is believed to have been injured.

According to Mail Online, the attack from Syria comes after Israeli forces stormed one of Jerusalem’s most holy mosques during Ramadan – with videos purportedly showing Israeli police officers beating Palestinians with batons and rifle butts at the mosque.

Following the second round of overnight rockets, Israeli forces confirmed they had responded with artillery fire into the Syrian territory where the rockets had been launched from.

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

The Israeli military “sees the State of Syria responsible for all activities occurring within its territory and will not allow any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty.”

Damascus-based Palestinian group, Al-Quds Brigade, who are loyal to the Syrian regime, claimed responsibility for launching the three missiles on Saturday, according to Lebanese channel Al-Mayadeen TV.

The report quoted the Al-Quds Brigade as saying it fired the rockets in retaliation for the police raid on the sensitive holy site Al-Aqsa Mosque.

An adviser to Syria President Bashar Assad described the rocket strikes as “part of the previous, present and continuing response to the brutal enemy.”

The cross-border attacks come amid heightened tension in Lebanon, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank – which coincides with the crossover of Ramadan, Passover and Easter.

The raid of the Al-Aqsa mosque has led to increased violence in the country and on Friday, two British-Israeli sisters, Maya and Rina Dee, were shot dead in the occupied West Bank, allegedly by Palestinian gunmen.

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