Israel hit multiple military targets in Syria in response to six rockets fired into territory it controls overnight, the Israeli military has said.
The Israeli Air Force said fighter jets and a drone hit the rocket launchers as well as a Syrian military compound, radar systems and artillery positions.
Syria said the strikes caused material damage.
The rocket fire from Syria into the occupied Golan Heights was claimed by a Palestinian militant group.
It caused no damage or casualties. In recent days, Israel has also come under fire from southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, prompting it to carry out retaliatory strikes against Palestinian militants in both areas.
The exchanges have followed an escalation in regional tensions in recent days, after Israeli police raided Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Israeli military reported two separate rocket salvoes originating from Syria late on Saturday and early on Sunday.
Three rockets were launched in the first, one of which landed in the southern Golan Heights, it said.
In the second, two rockets crossed the frontier and one was intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system, the military added.
Beirut-based Al Mayadeen TV said the al-Quds Brigade – a Damascus-based Palestinian militant group loyal to the Syrian government – claimed it was behind the rocket fire, saying it was retaliating for recent Israeli police raids at the al-Aqsa mosque.
The group is different to the larger military wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which has a very similar name – the Al-Quds Brigades.
Violence as Israeli police raid Jerusalem holy site The Israeli military said its artillery struck Syrian territory and that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) struck the launchers that fired the rockets from Syria.
Israeli warplanes later struck additional targets belonging to the Syrian military, including a compound belonging to the Syrian army’s 4th Division.
In a statement early on Sunday, Israeli Defence Forces said it “sees the state of Syria responsible for all activities occurring within its territory and will not allow any attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty”.—Agencies
