Explosions Heard on Israeli-Syria Border, Israeli Emergency Sirens Activated
Emergency sirens sounded in the Golan Heights Wednesday night, as conflict broke out across the Israel-Syria border between Israeli forces and, the Israeli military says, Iranian forces in Syria.
Several sirens sounded in the area of the Golan Heights. The details are being looked into and will be given shortly
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) May 9, 2018
BREAKING NEWS: Footage allegedly from the Golan Heights in Northern Israel; Significant bombardments can be heard in the beginning of the video. pic.twitter.com/EQljNu5fvZ
— BNL NEWS (@BreakingNLive) May 9, 2018
Israeli residents along the country's tense border with Syria have been urged to enter shelters.
#Pt. Video showing #Syria|n Regime MRLS bombing #Golan. First time ever direct retaliation for previous #Israel|i strikes. pic.twitter.com/4aK9dHrPPx
— Qalaat Al Mudiq (@QalaatAlMudiq) May 9, 2018
Social media users report that Israeli tanks have fired at positions in Syria, Israeli air sorties have been initiated, and that Syrian artillery is shelling Israeli targets.
#SAA responded to the #Israel/i shells on #AlQunityra
— Wael ???????? (@WaelAlRussi) May 9, 2018
By striking the Israeli forward outpost on Al Shaykh mountain north east of Al Jolan Heights, with heavy artillery shells.
Tensions in the area spurred the Israel Defense Forces to send military vehicles, troops, and missile interceptors to Golan Heights earlier in the day. Israel had been on high alert already after the country claimed to detect unusual "Iranian activity" in Syria.
#Israel military chief visited #Golan Heights .Israel Defense Forces has deployed military vehicles,troops several Iron Dome rocket defense batteries on the Golan Heights in light of current tensions#Syria
— Mete Sohtaoğlu (@metesohtaoglu) May 9, 2018
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"Launches of about 20 missiles were registered at around midnight toward the frontier positions in the Golan Heights by Iran's al-Quds forces," an Israeli army spokesman told reporters. "Several bases were targeted," the spokesman said, adding that some rockets were intercepted.
3 sources, one near Khan Arnabeh, 2 in Jubatha al-Khashab, are confirming reports of an Israeli strike on a regime position the western outskirts of Hader, a Druze village that houses Hezbollah-affiliated fighters.
— Elizabeth Tsurkov (@Elizrael) May 9, 2018
Another Quneitra source confirms the interception by Iron Dome.
The Israeli military said it viewed the attack "with great severity."
A number of rockets were intercepted by the IDF's Iron Dome aerial defense system. No injuries were reported. The IDF views this event with great severity and remains prepared for a wide variety of scenarios
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) May 9, 2018
Shortly after the attack, Syrian state media reported that its air-defense systems engaged a new round of rockets fired by Israeli war planes. Social media reports said the rockets were intercepted over Damascus.
Reports of Israeli missile strikes against Damascus have continued hours after the skirmish near the Golan Heights. The escalation marks a significant confrontation between Israel and Syria and perhaps the biggest military escalation since the Yom Kippur War, also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, which ended with an agreement on disengagement in 1974.
Syrian state tv says aerial defenses are intercepting Israeli rockets over #Damascus #Syria
— Alaa Ebrahim (@Alaa_Ebrahim_tv) May 9, 2018
Just heard CNN report by @barbarastarrcnn talking about apparent bombing of Golan that didn’t mention Israel just striking Iranian targets in Syria yesterday. Rather, Starr anticipated Israeli “retaliation”. @FAIRmediawatch
— Sam Husseini (@samhusseini) May 9, 2018