JERUSALEM – Iranian forces have attacked Israel army’s outposts directlyfor the first time as it fired 20 artillery rockets into the country fromSyria, prompting fears of war.
The barrage of the rockets were fired by the Quds Force, an external arm ofIran’s Revolutionary Guards, deployed in Syria to support President Basharal-Assa in the civil war, targeting posts in Israel occupied Golan Heights,Israel military spokesman Lieutenant-General Jonathan Conricus told media.
The attack prompted one of the heaviest shelling by Israel in Syria sinceits civil war started in 2011. The Israel Defence Force shelled Iranianposts in the war-torn country before air strikes on Damascus.
Syrian state media said dozens of Israeli missile strikes targeted a radarstation, Syrian air defense positions and an ammunition dump, mountingrisks of escalating tension.
Syria’s state media said Syrian air defenses had intercepted ‘hostileIsraeli missiles’ early Thursday that were fired over southwestern Damascus.
“Air defenses confronted tens of Israeli rockets and some of them reachedtheir target and destroyed one of the radar sites,’” Syrian state newsagency SANA quoted military source.
The Israel military spokesperson said that the attack was carried out at12:10am, adding that four of the rockets were intercepted, while the restof the rockets fired landed in Syrian territory. The attacked causedminimal damage at the army’s position while no casualties were reported, hesaid.
Lebanon’s National News Agency, citing Lebanese Army Command, reportedIsraeli jets circling over Lebanese territory early on Thursday beforeexiting.
Tensions between Israel and Iran had already escalated in Syria. Iran hadvowed retaliation after an Israeli air strike last month killed seven ofits military personnel in a desert airbase in Syria. Israel regards Iran asits biggest threat, and has repeatedly targeted Iranian forces and alliedmilitia in Syria.