BICOM

A roadside explosion struck an Israeli army patrol near the Syrian border yesterday, wounding four soldiers. It was the most significant attack on Israeli forces in the border region since the Syrian conflict erupted three years ago.

The explosive device was detonated as the soldiers were patrolling on the Israeli side of the border on the Golan Heights. The soldiers were outside their vehicle when the blast occurred, and three, including the deputy battalion commander, sustained light to moderate wounds, with the fourth sustaining serious injuries.

This is the fourth attack across the border in the last month. Another roadside bomb targeted an IDF patrol in the Mount Dov region on Friday, whilst the Israeli army thwarted a previous attempt to plant explosives near the border fence two weeks ago. In addition, two rockets fired from Syria hit Israel’s Mount Hermon at the beginning of the month.

During the night, the Israeli Air Force responded by striking several Syrian targets. The IDF said that they included a Syrian military headquarters, a training facility and artillery batteries. Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon said, “We hold the Assad regime responsible for what happens in its territory and if it continues to collaborate with terrorists striving to hurt Israel then we will keep on exacting a heavy price from it and make it regret its actions.”

Hezbollah, which fights alongside Assad’s troops, is suspected of having been responsible for yesterday’s attack and the attempted explosion several weeks ago. If so, it would mark the first time that Hezbollah has used Syria as a staging ground for attacking Israel. Last month, Hezbollah threatened that it would “choose the time and place” to hit Israel, in retaliation for a reported Israeli air strike against one of its positions, which is thought to have prevented the transfer of sophisticated weaponry from Syria. However, it has also been suggested that Islamist forces fighting against Assad might have carried out yesterday’s blast.