IDF attacks target in Syria following mortar shelling
No injuries or damage were reported in the incident.
By YONAH JEREMY BOBUpdated: AUGUST 22, 2016 22:47Smoke rises during fighting in the village of Ahmadiyah in Syria, as seen from the Israeli side of the border fence between Syria and the Golan Heights [File](photo credit: REUTERS)
The Israeli air force Monday evening attacked a Syrian missile launch site connected with the Assad regime after a mortar fell on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights.The IDF said it views the Syrian regime as responsible for any attacks emanating from its territory and said it would not tolerate any violations of Israeli sovereignty or danger to Israeli citizens, even as it appeared that the shelling was a misfire from internal battles within Syria in its ongoing civil war.No injuries or damage were reported in the incident and there were no warning sirens as the shelling clearly fell in an open area.Similar incidents have occurred in the past since the civil war started in 2011 without significant flareups with Israel beyond the initial misfires.The incident comes just one day after rocket fire hit Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, landing near the border town of Sderot.The IDF launched a series of air strikes overnight at the coastal enclave, hitting dozens of terror targets in response. While unconfirmed reports claimed that a Salafi group in Gaza claimed responsibility for Monday's rocket attack, Israel holds Hamas responsible for all attacks originating in the coastal enclave. Meanwhile, Hamas, the terrorist organization that runs Gaza, blamed Israel for the escalation in the South.