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Israeli officer injured as Syrian fighting intensifies near border
Fighting between Syrian opposition forces and the Assad regime near the Israeli border intensified yesterday with rebel groups, including the Islamist Al-Nusra Front apparently taking control of a border crossing.
Due to the fighting, Israeli farmers in the area were instructed to stay away from the border while Israel Radio reported that local tourist sites were closed. Fierce fighting has taken place over the past few months for control of the Syrian side of the border, which appeared to culminate yesterday when rebel forces captured the Quneitra border crossing with Israel. According to the Independent, the rebel fighters included units from the Western-backed Free Syrian Army and the Al-Nusra Front, giving the Al-Qaeda affiliated organisation a presence on Israel’s border. However, Reuters reports that the Syrian Air Force struck the rebel forces overnight.
During yesterday’s fighting, two Israelis were injured. An army officer was struck by either a bullet or shrapnel to his chest and was airlifted to hospital in Haifa. Seven mortars exploded in Israeli territory, one lightly injuring a civilian, who subsequently admitted himself to hospital according to the Walla news site.
The IDF said that it hit two Syrian army positions in response, although it had not fully determined whether the fire was intentional or an overspill from the Syrian conflict. IDF spokesman Peter Lerner commented, “This is not a conflict that we are involved in… It is an internal conflict. However, we need to be prepared, and we are not willing to have the fighting spill over into Israel.”
Over the past few months, mortar and gunfire from fighting in Syria has landed on Israeli territory with some regularity. More often than not it has been treated as errant fire. However, cross-border attacks targeting Israeli troops and army positions have taken place. Four Israeli soldiers were injured in a jeep explosion in March. In addition, a 15-year-old boy was killed in June after the vehicle he was travelling in with his father was struck by fire.