The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched air strikes on nine Syrian army positions on Monday morning in response to rocket attack that killed a teenager and wounded two others in the Golan Heights.
The IDF said they had targeted military headquarters and launching positions of Bashar al-Assad’s army across the border, and confirmed direct hits on the targets. IDF spokesman Peter Lerner said: “The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to breach Israel’s sovereignty and will act in order to safeguard the civilians of the state of Israel."
On Sunday, 15-year-old Muhammad Karkara, the son of an Israeli defense contractor who was performing construction work on the border fence with Syria, was killed when an explosion hit the vehicle he was in. Two other civilians were injured in the attack, which the IDF described as “an unprovoked act of aggression” and said was caused by mortar fire or an explosive device.
The attack and the Israeli retaliation marked the most serious clash between Israel and Syria since the civil war there began in 2011. Israel has been reinforcing the border fence to deflect a growing number of attacks targeting Israelis in the area.
