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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Syria conflict: Army 'retakes Golan Heights crossing' | Syria conflict: Army 'retakes Golan Heights crossing' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Syrian army has taken control of a UN-monitored crossing in the Golan Heights which had been overrun by rebel forces, Israeli military sources say. | The Syrian army has taken control of a UN-monitored crossing in the Golan Heights which had been overrun by rebel forces, Israeli military sources say. |
| Tanks and armoured vehicles were used in the fighting at Quneitra, near Israeli-held territory. | Tanks and armoured vehicles were used in the fighting at Quneitra, near Israeli-held territory. |
| Austria has said it will withdraw its peacekeepers from the Golan Heights because of the fighting. | Austria has said it will withdraw its peacekeepers from the Golan Heights because of the fighting. |
| It comes a day after Syrian troops backed by Lebanese Hezbollah militants retook the key town of Qusair. | It comes a day after Syrian troops backed by Lebanese Hezbollah militants retook the key town of Qusair. |
| The involvement of Hezbollah and the upsurge of fighting near the ceasefire line with Israel in the Golan have both raised fears that the conflict could spread across Syria's borders. | The involvement of Hezbollah and the upsurge of fighting near the ceasefire line with Israel in the Golan have both raised fears that the conflict could spread across Syria's borders. |
| Rebels seized the crossing near the town of Quneitra earlier on Thursday, with explosions and heavy shelling rocking the area. | Rebels seized the crossing near the town of Quneitra earlier on Thursday, with explosions and heavy shelling rocking the area. |
| But an Israeli military source said Syrian regime forces retook the symbolically significant crossing hours later and that it was now relatively quiet in the area. | But an Israeli military source said Syrian regime forces retook the symbolically significant crossing hours later and that it was now relatively quiet in the area. |
| Austria said UN peacekeepers had withdrawn to safety as fighting raged around the crossing and the town of Quneitra. | Austria said UN peacekeepers had withdrawn to safety as fighting raged around the crossing and the town of Quneitra. |
| The government said it would now pull its contingent of troops out completely because of safety concerns. | The government said it would now pull its contingent of troops out completely because of safety concerns. |
| Austrian troops make up more than a third of the more than 900 strong UN force monitoring the demilitarised zone and Qusair, which is the only open crossing between Syria and the Israeli-controlled area of the Golan Heights. | |
| Israeli fears | Israeli fears |
| Syria's deployment of tanks in the demilitarised zone violates ceasefire agreements in place since the Arab-Israeli war of 1973, but sources have told the BBC that Israel will not react. | Syria's deployment of tanks in the demilitarised zone violates ceasefire agreements in place since the Arab-Israeli war of 1973, but sources have told the BBC that Israel will not react. |
| Israel captured part of the plateau in 1967 and later annexed it in a move that has never been internationally recognised. | |
| Israeli officials have voiced fears the civil war in Syria could spill over their borders. They are worried the Golan Heights could be used to launch attacks against Israel - either by Islamist extremists fighting for the rebels, or by Hezbollah militants fighting on the government side. | Israeli officials have voiced fears the civil war in Syria could spill over their borders. They are worried the Golan Heights could be used to launch attacks against Israel - either by Islamist extremists fighting for the rebels, or by Hezbollah militants fighting on the government side. |
| Hezbollah's growing role in the conflict was highlighted by its involvement in the battle for Qusair, which government forces recaptured on Wednesday after a bitter siege. | Hezbollah's growing role in the conflict was highlighted by its involvement in the battle for Qusair, which government forces recaptured on Wednesday after a bitter siege. |
| Hezbollah - or the Party of God - is a political and military organisation in Lebanon made up mainly of Shia Muslims. | Hezbollah - or the Party of God - is a political and military organisation in Lebanon made up mainly of Shia Muslims. |
| It emerged with financial backing from Iran in the early 1980s when it fought Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and has always been a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. | It emerged with financial backing from Iran in the early 1980s when it fought Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and has always been a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. |
| Its involvement in Syria has heightened sectarian tensions across the region, and the US has called for it to withdraw. | Its involvement in Syria has heightened sectarian tensions across the region, and the US has called for it to withdraw. |
| Late on Wednesday several rockets landed in the Hezbollah stronghold of Baalbek inside Lebanon - after rebel threats to strike at Hezbollah on its home turf. | Late on Wednesday several rockets landed in the Hezbollah stronghold of Baalbek inside Lebanon - after rebel threats to strike at Hezbollah on its home turf. |
| Ghost town | Ghost town |
| Qusair lies only 10km (6 miles) from the Lebanese border and is close to important supply routes for both the government and rebels. | Qusair lies only 10km (6 miles) from the Lebanese border and is close to important supply routes for both the government and rebels. |
| A BBC team who were the first Western journalists to reach it after the fighting found it in ruins and deserted but for Syrian and Hezbollah troops. | A BBC team who were the first Western journalists to reach it after the fighting found it in ruins and deserted but for Syrian and Hezbollah troops. |
| One of the Hezbollah fighters told The Times newspaper it had dispatched some 1,200 special forces fighters to spearhead the assault on Qusair. | One of the Hezbollah fighters told The Times newspaper it had dispatched some 1,200 special forces fighters to spearhead the assault on Qusair. |
| "The buildings were so close, we were clearing them not metre by metre but centimetre by centimetre," said the veteran fighter, who went by the nom-de-guerre Haji Abbas and said he had recently returned from a week's fighting in the town. | "The buildings were so close, we were clearing them not metre by metre but centimetre by centimetre," said the veteran fighter, who went by the nom-de-guerre Haji Abbas and said he had recently returned from a week's fighting in the town. |
| "We squashed them into the northern part of the town and then pinned them down with sniper fire." | "We squashed them into the northern part of the town and then pinned them down with sniper fire." |
| A large number of rebels had died and many others had surrendered as troops advanced swiftly, Syrian TV reported. | A large number of rebels had died and many others had surrendered as troops advanced swiftly, Syrian TV reported. |
| The rebels said they withdrew overnight in the face of a massive assault. | The rebels said they withdrew overnight in the face of a massive assault. |
| As the battle for Qusair raged, fighting was continuing in most other parts of Syria, especially around the capital Damascus, where regime forces are trying to push the rebels back from the suburbs, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut. | As the battle for Qusair raged, fighting was continuing in most other parts of Syria, especially around the capital Damascus, where regime forces are trying to push the rebels back from the suburbs, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut. |
| More than 80,000 people have been killed in Syria and more than 1.5 million have fled the country since an uprising against President Assad began in 2011, according to UN estimates. | More than 80,000 people have been killed in Syria and more than 1.5 million have fled the country since an uprising against President Assad began in 2011, according to UN estimates. |
| International efforts to resolve Syria's conflict continue, but the US and Russia have failed to set a date for proposed peace talks. | International efforts to resolve Syria's conflict continue, but the US and Russia have failed to set a date for proposed peace talks. |
| The UN and Arab League envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, said the international conference might now be held in July, rather than June as had been planned. | The UN and Arab League envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, said the international conference might now be held in July, rather than June as had been planned. |
| He called the lack of agreement between Washington and Moscow "embarrassing", but also noted that neither side in the Syrian conflict was ready to commit to attending. | He called the lack of agreement between Washington and Moscow "embarrassing", but also noted that neither side in the Syrian conflict was ready to commit to attending. |
| Meanwhile France has said that growing proof of chemical weapons use in Syria "obliges the international community to act". | Meanwhile France has said that growing proof of chemical weapons use in Syria "obliges the international community to act". |
| However, President Francois Hollande cautioned: "We can only act within the framework of international law." | However, President Francois Hollande cautioned: "We can only act within the framework of international law." |