Syria Mortar Shells Strike Israel-Occupied Golan Heights

Three mortar shells fired from Syria fell to earth in the Israel-held Golan Heights on Wednesday, Israeli army radio has reported.



"Three mortar shells hit the Golan Heights amid clashes between Bashar al-Assad's troops and opposition forces in the Quneitra area" near the border, according to the broadcaster.



The mortar fire came three days after five rockets – also from Syria – landed in the Israeli-occupied territory.



Tension remains high in the region following a just-halted Israeli offensive against Palestinian resistance factions in the Gaza Strip, in which at least 2145 Palestinians were killed and some 11,000 injured – mostly civilians – since hostilities began on July 7.



The Syrian Golan Heights were occupied by Israel during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.



In 1981, the self-proclaimed Jewish state formally annexed the territory, which is inhabited by a small Syrian Druze community of roughly 20,000.



By Abdel-Raouf Arnaout



englishnews@aa.com.tr



www.aa.com.tr/en - İsrail