Israel hits Syria after rockets fired towards Golan Heights
STORY: Israeli jets hit Syrian military targets on Sunday (April 9) in response to rockets launched towards Israeli controlled territory overnight.
That's according to Israel's military, as violence flared again following cross-border exchanges of fire during the week.
State media in Syria reported explosions in the vicinity of the capital Damascus.
Israel said its forces had continued to hit Syrian territory after six rockets were fired overnight towards the Golan Heights.
Israel said artillery and drone strikes hit the rocket launchers, and were followed by airstrikes against a Syrian army compound, military radar systems and artillery posts.
The Syrian defense ministry said its air defenses had responded to the Israeli attacks and intercepted some Israeli missiles.
It said no casualties had been reported with only material damage caused by the strikes.
Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen TV said the rocket salvoes that entered Israeli-controlled territory were claimed by Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement.
Israel seized the Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed the 460-square-mile territory in 1981.
A move not recognized by most of the international community.
Earlier this week, over 30 rockets were fired towards Israel from southern Lebanon, drawing cross-border counterstrikes from Israel on sites linked to the Islamist movement Hamas in Lebanon and Gaza.
The cross-border exchanges came amid sharply increased tensions between Israel and Palestinian groups following Israeli police raids in recent days on Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
Despite fears of further violence around the mosque on Saturday, there were no reports of serious disturbances overnight.
