View from Israeli Golan Heights of fighting in Syria (file)
View from Israeli Golan Heights of fighting in Syria (file)Basel Awidat/Flash 90

The Israel Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday night targeted artillery positions of the Syrian regime in the Syrian Golan Heights, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said.

The strikes were in retaliation to three projectiles which hit Israel earlier on Tuesday.

“We will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israel's sovereignty and the security of its citizens. We see the Syrian regime as responsible for what happens in its territory. However we will not hesitate to act against opposition elements in Syria,” the IDF’s statement said.

On Monday night, IAF aircraft attacked cannons belonging to the Syrian regime in the central part of the Syrian side of the Golan Heights.

The IDF spokesman said that the attack is in retaliation for a mortar shell hitting a kibbutz about a kilometer from the Israeli-Syrian border in the northern Golan Heights, earlier on Monday evening.

The mortar exploded in an open area, causing no physical injuries or damages. Defense officials said the shelling was a spillover from the Syrian civil war.

Golan Regional Council head Eli Malka rejected the notion that the mortars exploding in Israeli territory were “spillovers” from the Syrian war.

“There is no difference between deliberate firing and spillover. The mortar is the same mortar and it poses a risk to human life,” he said.

“It is the responsibility of the Defense Minister and the IDF to convey a clear message to all parties on the other side of the border that each mortar explosion will be considered intentional firing towards Israel and the IDF will respond strongly,” added Malka.