“In response to the projectiles which hit Israel today, IAF targeted artillery positions of the Syrian Regime in the Syrian Golan Heights“, the statement by the Israel Defense Force spokesperson read. The Syrian government routinely describes its opponents-armed and otherwise-as terrorists.
Advertisement
The Ministry explained that the recent Israeli attack against the Syrian territory was a desperate attempt, trying to raise the spirit of terrorists after their huge losses and defeats experienced by these groups in the field of Quneitra and other areas in this country.
The incident was the fifth case since last week in which fighting in Syria has spilled over into Israel, and the first since a U.S. -Russia brokered truce went into effect at sunset on Monday to try and end the civil war, now in its sixth year.
Damascus on Tuesday announced it had shot down an Israeli warplane and a drone after they attacked a military position early in the country’s south.
Syria’s army command said in a statement that Israeli warplanes had attacked an army position at 1 a.m. on Tuesday (2200 GMT, Monday) in the countryside of Quneitra province.
However, the occupation army denied the warplanes were downed, but confirmed that the Syrian army launched two surface-to-air missiles at the Israeli aircrafts. Israel denied the report a few minutes later, Al Jazeera reported. Dozens of fighters on both sides were killed, it said.
Since the signing of a 1974 disengagement agreement between Syria and Israel, a cease-fire line has separated the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from a Syria-administered buffer zone.
Advertisement
AFP correspondents in government-held Damascus and its rebel-controlled suburbs reported quiet too, with residents taking advantage of the lull in violence to mark the Eid al-Adha Muslim holiday.
