Israel strikes 9 targets in Syria's Golan Heights

Israeli aircrafts launched a series of raids on Syrian territory in the Golan Heights, shortly after midnight today, in response to the killing of an Israeli boy and the wounding of three others in a rocket attack from Syria, according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

The newspaper reported that residents of northern Israel heard the sound of explosions across the border with Syria, pointing out that the Israeli Air Force launched nine raids on targets belonging to the Syrian army in the Golan Heights.

It added that the Israeli raids were “launched shortly after midnight, when warplanes of the Israeli Air Force fired missiles on sites of the Syrian army in the Golan Heights, which controlled Syria.”

The newspaper quoted a statement from the Israeli Army saying: “The targets that were bombed belong to the Syrian army and are used as locations for shooting, in addition to army camps.”

The statement said that “the attacks on the targets were verified and the aircrafts returned safely to their bases.”

The Israeli army announced, on Sunday evening, the end of the preliminary investigation into the killing of an Israeli boy in the occupied Golan.

Yedioth Ahronoth said: “The Israeli army is assessing the situation after it was evident that the attack was planned.”

Army Radio quoted Israeli military sources as saying: “The Israeli army has ended its investigation into the killing an Israeli and wounding of three others,” arguing that the incident in the Golan Heights was the result of “sabotage”, by launching anti-tank missiles from the Syrian territory, which “led to the damage of a water tanks delivering to road works in the area.”

Sources said that the victim was 14-year-old Muhammed Karaka, a Palestinian-Israeli.

The Israeli army announced yesterday that it would close off the border with Syria which will be considered a “military zone”.