A mortar shell fired from Syria landed on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights early Monday morning as fighting intensifies between Syrian Islamist rebels and the Syrian army.
The mortar attack was accompanied by gunfire aimed at reporters and UN peacekeepers stationed at the border. The IDF Spokesman’s Office said that the mortar was most likely not meant for Israel.
The al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nursa Front rebel group took responsibility for the attack, NRG reported. Last week, the terror group seized control of the Quneitra border crossing in southern Syria, the only border crossing between Israel and Syria.
Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli Air Force shot down a drone that entered Israeli airspace from Syria from the Quneitra region. The drone was shot down with a surface-to-air Patriot missile as it flew closer to the Israeli border.
Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon congratulated the army’s quick response, which he said was “admirable.” Ya’alon warned that Israel would not tolerate any attack, “whether intentional or unintentional.”
“These past few weeks have proven that our tolerance for attempts to harm us is low, and if someone tries to test us, we will respond aggressively,” the defense minister said in a statement.
As fighting rages in Syria, UN peacekeepers stationed at the border are seeking refuge inside Israel. On Sunday morning, 40 Filipino peacekeepers who were captured by Islamist rebels in Syria escaped from captivity and fled to Israel. Another 75 peacekeepers had escaped previously but 44 more peacekeepers from Fiji remain captives.
On Sunday, the al-Nursa front posted on its various websites and social media outlets a picture of a UN vehicle flying an al-Qaeda flag.
