Israeli army says rockets launched from Syria, failed to reach Israel
Tamara Zieve and Weedah Hamzah (dpa)
TEL AVIV, Tamara Zieve and Weedah Hamzah (dpa)- A number of rockets were launched from Syria towards Israel on Monday morning, but failed to hit Israeli territory, the Israeli army said in a statement.
The rockets were launched from the outskirts of Damascus by Shiite militia operatives operating under the Iranian Quds Force, the statement said.
The army stressed that it holds the Syrian regime responsible for all events taking place in Syria.
It was unclear if there was any connection between these rockets and a strike in Syria early Monday, as well as an additional incident in which an Israeli drone went down in Lebanon.
At least 18 members of pro-Iranian militias loyal to the Syrian government were killed in strikes carried out by unidentified warplanes in eastern Syria, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The monitor group said the strikes targeted posts, military vehicles and arms depots in the al Bou-Kamal area and its outskirts in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour.
Also Monday, the Iran-backed Hezbollah group said it shot down an Israeli drone above southern Lebanon.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said an IDF drone "fell on Lebanese territory during routine activity in northern Israel."
Tensions have increased in the region since last month when Hezbollah said two Israeli drones went down over Beirut's southern suburbs.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned last week that Israeli drones that violated Lebanese airspace in future would be confronted.
Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite group, is trained and financed by Iran.
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