Israeli Troops Fire Into Syria, Kill Three Soldiers

Officials Unclear if Rebels or Regime Gunfire Prompted Attack

by Jason Ditz, November 18, 2012

More casualties were reported today at the Israeli frontier with Syria, after soldiers in the occupied Golan Heights fired into Syria today, killing three soldiers. Officials say it was a response to “small arms fire.”

Israeli officials conceded that they weren’t really sure whose small arms were firing at them, though the slain people appear to have been Syrian regime forces. Even this appeared to be only vaguely known by Israeli officials, with a military spokesman saying “from what I hear over the Arab media it appears Syrian soldiers were killed.”

It is the third border incident between Israel and Syria over the past few weeks, after stray mortar shells exploded just across the border and Israel attacked Syrian artillery shells. The Syrian rebels have accused Israel of aiding the regime, though this appears unlikely.

The question of whose stray bullets crossed into Israel is a good one, however, as rebels hold most of the villages along the frontier, but the regime has been attempting to retake some in recent days. There was no indication that the bullets hit anything in Israel.

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