AFP, Jerusalem: Israel launched artillery strikes on Syria yesterday morning, the Israeli army announced, after several rockets were fired from there and landed in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Israel's retaliatory strike to rocket attacks from Syria -- which no one has claimed -- is the latest episode in escalating violence in the region.
"In response to the rockets fired from Syria at Israel earlier today, IDF Artillery is currently striking in Syrian territory," the military tweeted.
A drone was also "currently striking the launchers in Syria from which rockets were launched into Israeli territory".
Six rockets were launched towards Israel Saturday night, with two landing in the Golan Heights, the army said. At least one was intercepted by the Israeli air-defence system.
The 1,200 square kilometre (460 square mile) region -- patrolled by Israeli soldiers and bordering Lebanon -- was seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel later annexed it in a move that was never recognised by the international community.
Syrian state news agency SANA said the Israeli strikes took place around 5:00 am. Citing an unnamed military source, SANA said Syria's military had "intercepted the rockets... and brought down some of them".
On Wednesday, Israeli police stormed the prayer hall of Al-Aqsa mosque in a pre-dawn raid aimed at dislodging "law-breaking youths masked agitators" they said had barricaded themselves inside. The next day, more than 30 rockets were fired from Lebanese soil into Israel.
