World Jewish News
A tank battalion from the Armored Corps 401 Brigade held a war drill on the Golan Heights on Feb 20 Photo: IDF Spokesman Unit
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IDF returns fire after patrol shot at near Syria border
12.04.2013, Israel and the World The IDF has confirmed that light weapons fire and artillery shells were fired from Syria in the direction of one of its border patrols on Friday evening.
There were no injuries or damages in the incident, an army spokeswoman said.
IDF soldiers fired missiles at the source of the artillery fire, recording a direct hit. There were no immediate reports of casualties on the Syrian side.
The IDF informed the United Nations of the incident.
Fighting from the Syrian civil war has spilled over into Israeli territory on a number of occasions in the past.
Earlier this month a mortar shell fired from Syria fell in the Golan Heights near Tel Fares.
Following the incident, the IDF fired tank shells at the source of shots. The target was accurately struck, the IDF said.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon toured the Syrian border just prior to the April 2 incident and vowed that Israel would prevent the proliferation of weapons "that could threaten us in the future" to radical elements in Syria.
"But we're not getting involved so long as this does not harm our interests. When it harms our interests, whether through Grad rocket fire from over the border, whether it is intended to hit our territory or not, we respond in order to silence the source of the fire," Ya'alon added.
By YAAKOV LAPPIN, JPOST.COM STAFF
JPost.com
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