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Lieberman accuses Hezbollah of firing rockets from Syria
Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman yesterday accused Hezbollah of firing at Israel from Syria. On Saturday five rockets were launched from an area controlled by Syrian regime forces towards the Golan Heights. Four of the rockets landed on the Israeli side of the border. The IDF responded by targeting three Syrian regime artillery positions.
Lieberman said the rocket fire from Syria “was not spill over, it was deliberate fire at Hezbollah’s initiative,” adding that it was on the “personal and direct order from Nasrallah”.
Israeli defence sources were not able to confirm Lieberman’s statements.
On Monday 16 October, the Israeli air force attacked an anti-aircraft base east of Damascus after it fired missiles at Israeli Air Force planes.
Following Israel’s response, Iranian Chief of Staff General Mohammad Baqeri said that Iran would not accept Israeli violations in Syria.
Israel holds the Syrian regime responsible for any projectiles fired into Israel from Syria.
In related news, US Vice President Mike Pence criticised Hezbollah and Iran at a memorial for the 241 US service personnel who died in the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut.
The bombing, that was linked to Hezbollah and Iran, remains the deadliest attack against the US Marines since the battle for Iwo Jima in WWII.
Pence said that “The Beirut barracks bombing was the opening salvo in a war that we have waged ever since — the global war on terror”. Pence went on to say that “under President [Donald] Trump’s leadership, we’ve redoubled our commitment to cripple Hezbollah’s terrorist network and bring its leaders to justice”.
Pence also reminded the audience that “as we all know, that terrorist group is merely a proxy for the leading state sponsor of terrorism. And President Donald Trump has put Iran on notice that we will no longer tolerate their destabilising activities or their support of terrorism across the region and across the world”.
Pence concluded by warning that “the Iranian regime continues to funnel funds and weapons to its terrorist minions, with the goal of shedding blood and sowing chaos throughout the wider world”.