Syria says it is no menace, after rocket fireplace on Israel

Israeli media mentioned the projectiles have been the primary launched from Syria into Israeli territory for the reason that fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, with two unknown teams claiming duty.

The Israeli navy mentioned “two projectiles were identified crossing from Syria into Israeli territory, and fell in open areas”. It later mentioned it struck “weapons” belonging to the Syrian authorities in retaliation.

Defence Minister Israel Katz held Syria’s chief “directly responsible”.

Syria condemned the Israeli shelling as a “blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty” that “aggravates tensions in the region”.

“Syria has never been and will never be a threat to anyone in the region,” the international ministry mentioned, in a press release carried by the official SANA information company.

The ministry denied duty and mentioned it couldn’t affirm whether or not rockets have been launched in direction of Israel, blaming “numerous parties… trying to destabilise the region”.

There have been no stories of casualties or harm on the Israeli aspect from the projectiles, which the navy mentioned triggered air raid sirens within the southern Golan Heights, a territory Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and annexed in 1981.

Katz mentioned in a press release that “we view the president of Syria as directly responsible for any threat or fire directed at the State of Israel”.

Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa led the Islamist group that spearheaded the offensive that toppled Assad.

Following Assad’s overthrow, Israel moved its forces into the UN-patrolled demilitarised zone within the Golan, and has carried out lots of of strikes in opposition to navy targets in Syria.

Israel says the strikes goal to cease superior weapons from reaching Syria’s new authorities, whom it considers jihadists.

A gaggle referred to as the “Martyr Mohammed al-Deif Brigades”, named after the Hamas commander killed by Israel within the Gaza Strip, launched a video it mentioned confirmed the second the rockets landed within the occupied Golan Heights.

A second group often called the “Islamic Resistance Front in Syria” claimed duty for launching the 2 rockets at Israel. The group was created just a few months in the past and referred to as for motion in opposition to Israel from south Syria.

AFP was unable to confirm the authenticity of their claims.

SANA reported Israeli shelling “targeting the Yarmuk Basin, in the west of Daraa” province.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights mentioned bombardments had hit farmland within the province, with out reporting casualties.

“Violent explosions shook southern Syria, notably the town of Quneitra and the Daraa region, following Israeli aerial strikes” in a single day, the Britain-based warfare monitor mentioned.

Since taking up, Sharaa has mentioned Syria doesn’t need battle with its neighbours, urging worldwide strain on Israel to halt its assaults.

Analyst Bassam al-Suleiman mentioned these benefiting from the escalation have been “Iran and its militias”, former Assad allies with a previous presence in Syria.

A powerful authorities in Damascus “apparently contradicts the Israeli vision for Syria” as a weak neighbour, he mentioned.

Israel’s recurring bombings of Syrian military infrastructure “hinders the emergence of a force capable of controlling all of Syria”, Suleiman added.

Syria and Israel have technically been at warfare since 1948.

US President Donald Trump final month lifted sanctions on Syria and expressed hope for eventual normalisation with Israel although analysts say that is still unlikely.

During a go to to Damascus final week, US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack proposed a “non-aggression agreement” as a place to begin between the 2 international locations.

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This article was generated from an automatic information company feed with out modifications to textual content.