Israeli forces strike back at Syrian outposts in the Golan heights

Attack Helicopters of the IAF have targeted and bombarded a multitude of Syrian government Army targets late on Friday night, including observation posts and intelligence facilities in bases near the town of Quientra. According to Syrian media, two military personnel were wounded in the strikes.“The IDF sees the Syrian regime as responsible for the fire earlier today and will continue to act with determination, retaliating for every violation of the sovereignty of the State of Israel,” the military said in a statement.On Friday, US Army General and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley landed in Israel and met with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi and other senior defense officials as well as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During the visit, Kochavi stressed to the American general that the IDF will continue to defend the State of Israel.“We are preparing for a variety of scenarios and will act to the extent necessary to remove any threat that endangers the sovereignty of Israel or its citizens,” he said.

On Friday the military announced it was upping its alert along the northern border over concerns of an attack by Hezbollah. Several roads along the border were closed to military vehicles and additional troops were deployed to reinforce divisions in the north.

On Thursday the military deployed reinforcements – one battalion and a number of additional troops – to the Northern Command’s Galilee Division due to the heightened tensions.

Earlier in the week, Hezbollah announced that one of its members was killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike in Damascus on Monday night. The strike targeted several sites around the capital including a major ammunition depot and killed several Iranian and Syrian personnel as well as Hezbollah member Ali Kamel Mohsen.

Following the alleged Israeli strikes on Monday, the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar reported that Hezbollah had raised its alert level “to monitor activities” of IDF soldiers along the border between the two countries and statements attributed to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah suggested that Israel be wary of an attack.

Last week Lt.-Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the Head of the US Central Command warned against the group attacking Israel in light of pressures that the group is facing due to the economic crisis in Lebanon saying that it wouldn’t end well.

“I think it would be a great mistake for Hizballah to try to carry out operations against Israel.  I can’t see that having a good ending,” he told journalists in a telephone briefing.

While several Hezbollah militants have been killed in alleged Israeli airstrikes in Syria over the past year, it was the first time that Hezbollah confirmed the death of one since August when two militants and an Iranian were killed in an IAF strike targeting an IRGC cell which Israel said was on its way to launch armed drones to attack targets in northern Israel.

Following the strike, the IDF had raised its alert expecting a limited response against military targets. A week later, Hezbollah fired three anti-tank guided missiles towards an IDF post and military ambulance near the towns of Avivim and Yir’on in northern Israel.

While there were no casualties in the incident, over 100 artillery shells were fired towards targets in south Lebanon including an airstrike on the Hezbollah cell which carried out the attack.

Source: jpost.com

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