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Israeli warplanes strike Syrian military positions in Golan Heights Israeli warplanes strike Syrian military positions in Golan Heights
(about 5 hours later)
JERUSALEM — Israeli warplanes attacked Syrian military positions on Wednesday in retaliation for a bombing the previous day, in the most serious confrontation between the two foes since the Syrian conflict erupted three years ago. JERUSALEM — Israeli warplanes attacked Syrian military positions Wednesday in retaliation for a bombing the previous day, in the most serious confrontation between the two foes since the Syrian conflict erupted three years ago.
Syria said one of its soldiers was killed and seven were injured when three army positions near the town of Quneitra were struck on the Syrian side of the ceasefire line between the two countries in the Golan Heights. Syria said one of its soldiers was killed and seven were injured when three army positions near the town of Quneitra were struck on the Syrian side of the cease-fire line between the two countries in the Golan Heights.
Israel said the targets were an army training facility, a military headquarters and an artillery battery, and that the raids came in response to a bombing along the line on Tuesday that injured four Israeli soldiers. Israel said that the targets were an army training facility, a military headquarters and an artillery battery, and that the raids came in response to a bombing along the line on Tuesday that injured four Israeli soldiers.
The attacks sent tensions soaring in the already strained area, where Syrian troops aided by irregular militias are battling rebels from a variety of allegiances intent on unseating Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Stray shells have struck Israel on a number of occasions and Israel has retaliated with artillery strikes to deter the fire, but this is the first direct confrontation between the two militaries across the line. The attacks sent tensions soaring in the already strained area, where Syrian troops and militia allies are battling rebels with a variety of allegiances who are intent on unseating Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Stray shells have struck Israel on a number of occasions and Israel has retaliated with artillery strikes to deter the fire, but this was the first direct confrontation between the two militaries across the line.
Army spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said Israel did not know whether the Syrian army, its ally Hezbollah or the rebels they are fighting may have been responsible for planting the bomb. But Israel holds the Syrian army responsible, he said. Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an Israeli army spokesman, said Israel did not know whether the Syrian army, its ally Hezbollah or the rebels they are fighting may have been responsible for planting the bomb. But Israel holds the Syrian army responsible, he said.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon went further, accusing Syria’s government of collaborating with “terrorists” to plant the bomb and warning that the situation could escalate if there are further attacks. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon went further, accusing Syria’s government of collaborating with “terrorists” to plant the bomb and warning that the situation could escalate if there are more attacks.
“We hold the Assad regime responsible for what happens in its territory and if it continues to collaborate with terrorists striving to hurt Israel, then we will keep on exacting a heavy price from it and make it regret its actions,” Yaalon said. “We hold the Assad regime responsible for what happens in its territory, and if it continues to collaborate with terrorists striving to hurt Israel, then we will keep on exacting a heavy price from it and make it regret its actions,” Yaalon said.
“Our policy is clear. We hurt those who hurt us,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, addressing the Israeli cabinet. Addressing the Israeli cabinet, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also directly blamed Syria. “Our policy is clear. We hurt those who hurt us,” he said. “Syrian elements not only allowed but also cooperated in the attacks on our forces.”
Syria’s military command issued a counterwarning, accusing Israel of seeking to escalate tensions in order to take attention from the Syrian government’s recent advances against rebel fighters. The strikes offered “a dose of moral support to the terrorist gangs tumbling under the Syrian Arab Army’s strikes,” the Syrian military command said in a statement carried by the official news agency SANA.Syria’s military command issued a counterwarning, accusing Israel of seeking to escalate tensions in order to take attention from the Syrian government’s recent advances against rebel fighters. The strikes offered “a dose of moral support to the terrorist gangs tumbling under the Syrian Arab Army’s strikes,” the Syrian military command said in a statement carried by the official news agency SANA.
“Repeating these aggressive acts would jeopardize the region’s security and stability and make it vulnerable to all options,” the statement said. “Repeating these aggressive acts would jeopardize the region’s security and stability and make it vulnerable to all options,” the statement warned.
Though Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes against Syria over the past year, it is unusual for either party to acknowledge them, and the public statements seemed to underscore the seriousness of this latest confrontation. The previous Israeli strikes were aimed at preventing deliveries of sophisticated weapons from Syria to the Shiite Lebanese Hezbollah movement, which Israel fought in a 2006 war, but Wednesday’s airstrikes raised tensions directly between Tel Aviv and Damascus. Although Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes against Syria over the past year, it is unusual for either party to acknowledge them, and the public statements seemed to underscore the seriousness of the latest confrontation. Previous Israeli attacks were aimed at preventing deliveries of sophisticated weapons from Syria to the Shiite Lebanese Hezbollah movement, which Israel fought in a 2006 war, but Wednesday’s airstrikes raised tensions directly between Tel Aviv and Damascus in an area they last fought more than four decades ago.
Speaking at a meeting of his Likud party’s faction in the Israeli parliament Tuesday night, Netanyahu said that the situation on the Golan Heights was becoming a serious threat to Israel. The Golan Heights have been administered by Israel since it captured the territory from Syria in 1967, and the ceasefire line, a demilitarized zone patrolled by the United Nations, was established to keep the foes apart after the 1973 war.
Speaking at a meeting of his Likud party’s faction in the Israeli parliament Tuesday night, Netanyahu said that the situation in the Golan Heights was becoming a serious threat to Israel.
“The area is filling up with jihadist and Hezbollah militants, posing a new challenge for Israel,” he said. “In recent years, we were able to maintain quiet despite the civil war in Syria. Now we have to act firmly to maintain the security of Israel.”“The area is filling up with jihadist and Hezbollah militants, posing a new challenge for Israel,” he said. “In recent years, we were able to maintain quiet despite the civil war in Syria. Now we have to act firmly to maintain the security of Israel.”
Speaking on the condition of anonymity for security reasons, a senior Israeli military official stationed in Israel’s northern border region said Israel is becoming increasingly concerned about events taking place in Syria. He said incidents involving roadside bombs and stray rockets fired into Israeli territory have been growing in frequency in recent months. Last Friday, a similar explosive device was detonated but with no injuries. Notably, the increased frequency of roadside bombs and stray rockets fired into Israeli territory is a growing concern, said a senior Israeli military official stationed in the northern border region. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the subject is sensitive. Last Friday, a similar explosive device was detonated but with no injuries, and Israel implicated Hezbollah.
“Israel does not really care who did this, but it will not allow people to shoot at us or blow up side charges,” said Mordechai Kedar of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University.“Israel does not really care who did this, but it will not allow people to shoot at us or blow up side charges,” said Mordechai Kedar of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University.
He said an escalation was possible because the situation in Syria is deteriorating and “there are those who would like to drag Israel into the war.”He said an escalation was possible because the situation in Syria is deteriorating and “there are those who would like to drag Israel into the war.”
“The question is what is the price? If they know that the price they have to pay might be high, then maybe they will leave Israel alone,” Kedar said.“The question is what is the price? If they know that the price they have to pay might be high, then maybe they will leave Israel alone,” Kedar said.
Since the start of the uprising in Syria three years ago, Israel has invested more than $57.3 million in a state-of-the-art border fence in the Israeli-occupied section of the Golan Heights. Still, there are points that need enforcing. Israel announced Wednesday it would reinforce its outposts on the Golan Heights in order to prevent future attacks. A rebel spokesman based on the Syrian side of the line accused Syrian intelligence of planting the bomb that wounded the Israeli soldiers in collaboration with local members of the National Defense Force, a paramilitary organization formed to support the army. Hezbollah does not have a presence in the Golan, but some of the paramilitaries are Shiite and have relations with Hezbollah, he said.
Sly reported from Beirut. Ahmed Ramadan and Loveday Morris contributed from Beirut to this report. He said the Syrian government wants to implicate the rebels in order to draw Israel into a fight against them.
“This is an attempt to provoke Israel into attacking the rebels,” said Col. Al-Murabit, who asked to be identified by his nom-de-guerre for his safety. “But Israel knows who really planted this bomb and . . . we are happy they have intelligence to find out the real attacker.”
Neither Syria nor Israel however has an interest in a direct confrontation across the cease-fire line, which remained peaceful for four decades until the 2011 revolt in Syria sent ripples of instability across the region.
Amos Yadlin, a former chief of Israeli military intelligence, told Army Radio that there was “no desire for escalation” on Israel’s part. “There is no spillover here,” he said.
Since the start of the uprising in Syria three years ago, Israel has invested more than $57.3 million in a state-of-the-art border fence in the Israeli-occupied section of the Golan Heights. Israel announced Wednesday it would reinforce its outposts there in order to prevent future attacks.
Sly reported from Beirut. Ahmed Ramadan and Loveday Morris in Beirut contributed to this report.