User:Hms642uow/Syrian rockets fired at Israel

Tuesday, May 7, 2013  In retaliation to the Israeli airstrikes on Damascus, which occurred early Sunday morning, Syria fired two rockets into Israeli-occupied Golan heights yesterday. An Israeli spokeswoman said the rockets exploded in a field in southern Golan where United Nations forces are deployed, but there were no casualties.

Before the retaliation, Israel radio reported that Syrian President Bashar Assad requested Russia pass a message to Washington: that if Israel attacks “Syrian territory” it will be viewed as a ‘declaration of war’.

Anti-Syrian regime activists said that information from military hospitals, indicates Israel’s weekend attack killed 42 Syrian soldiers.

A statement aired on Syrian state television from the Foreign Ministry said that the attacks on Syrian military sites prove that Al-Qaeda led terrorist groups are communicating with Israel.

Israeli officials and US officials said that the attacks on Syria were carried out in order to prevent Iranian advanced weapons systems reaching Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. The Israeli government has not confirmed its involvement with the weekend air strikes on Syrian territory as yet.

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon is calling on all sides to exercise maximum calm and restraint to prevent an escalation in the conflict.

Sources

• "Syrian rockets hit Israeli-occupied land" — Reuters, May 7, 2013
• "Rockets fired from Syria fall in Israel-occupied Golan Heights" — Voice of Russia, May 6, 2013
• UPI. "Syria Deploys Rocket Batteries -- Aimed at Israel" — Military.com, May 6, 2013
• Calev Ben-David & Glen Carey. "Syria Threat Over Israel Air Strike Risks Wider Conflict" — bloomberg, May 6, 2013
• Liz Sly and Suzan Haidamous. "Syrian report: Israel bombs outskirts of Damascus for second time in recent days" — The Washington Post, May 5, 2013