Syria denies attacking IDF soldiers on border, says old landmine caused explosion

Officials in Damascus file a complaint to the UN against Israel, claiming that the IDF strike on three of its outposts was unjustified; say Israel assisting "terrorist organizations" in the Golan Heights.

By YASSER OKBI, JPOST.COM STAFF
An IDF artillery vehicle on the Golan Heights 370 (photo credit: IDF Spokesperson Unit)
An IDF artillery vehicle on the Golan Heights 370
(photo credit: IDF Spokesperson Unit)
Syria told UN forces in the Golan Heights on Thursday that it was not responsible for Tuesday's incident that injured four IDF soldiers.
Syria claimed that the explosive that left one of the four soldiers in serious condition was an old landmine, rather than a targeted explosion.
Syria filed a complaint to the UN against Israel, claiming that the IDF hit three of its outposts.
In a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Damascus gave a detailed account of the Israeli attacks and demanded that the Security Council "condemn Israel for violating the separation of forces agreement" and "prevent it from attacking in the future."
Syria also demanded that Israel be condemned for its "assistance to terrorist organizations in the demilitarized zone."
Commander of the UNIFIL troops in Lebanon, Paolo Serra, came to the conclusion after conversations with senior IDF and Lebanese security officials that both Israel and Hezbollah are not interested in an escalation of tensions in the north following the incident.
An IDF patrol traveling on the Golan Heights near the Syrian border came under attack Tuesday, when an explosive device was detonated near the soldiers' jeep. The soldiers had stopped their jeep and were outside of the vehicle when the explosive went off.
The soldiers belonged to the IDF's Paratroopers Battalion 202 and one of the three who sustained light-to-moderate wounds was the deputy commander of the battalion. A fourth was seriously wounded.
In response, the IDF targeted military command posts, artillery batteries, and a training base on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights that it said enabled the attack on the jeep on Tuesday that wounded four soldiers.
The targets included a military headquarters, artillery batteries and a training base of the Syrian army the IDF said.


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