Islamist Rebels Seize Control of Border Crossing Between Israel and Syria

Raphael Poch : Aug 28, 2014
Breaking Israel News

Six mortar shells were fired into Israel on Wednesday and exploded on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights.

(Israel)—Pitched battles between President Bashar Assad's forces and Islamist rebels in Syria, fighting in the area of Quneitra spilled over into Israel Wednesday morning as an al-Qaeda linked rebel group reportedly took control of the only crossing between Israel and Syria. (Photo: Flash90/via Breaking Israel News)

A border monitoring group reported that Syrian rebels, including al-Qaeda's affiliate Al-Nusra Front, seized control of the border crossing.

"Al-Nursa Front and other rebel groups took the Quneitra crossing, and heavy fighting with the Syrian army is continuing in the surrounding area," confirmed Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights NGO.

Six mortar shells were fired into Israel on Wednesday and exploded on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights. There were no casualties, but the mortars did cause damage to some vehicles.

Shortly afterwards, an IDF officer was light-to-moderately wounded, although the IDF was not able to say as to whether the cause for the injury was a result of shrapnel or stray gunfire emanating from Quneitra. The officer was evacuated to Rambam Hospital in Haifa.

The IDF responded by firing at two military positions near the source of the mortar fire.

Syrian rebel groups later announced the "liberation" of the Quneitra border crossing.

Later in the evening, an Israeli man was lightly wounded when a seventh mortar launched from Syria exploded near him, hours after the Islamist rebels in Syria captured the border crossing.

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