Iranian forces 'fire rockets' at Israeli positions in Golan Heights

Israeli soldiers walk next to tanks near the Israeli side of the border with Syria in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Israel May 9, 2018 Image copyright Reuters
Image caption Israeli forces in the occupied Golan Heights in south-western Syria

Israel's military says Iranian forces have fired rockets at its positions in the occupied Golan Heights

It said around 20 rockets were fired by Iran's Revolutionary Guard early on Thursday and some were intercepted, adding that there were no casualties.

Earlier this week, Israel said it had noted "irregular activity" by Iranian forces in the region.

It placed its troops in the Golan Heights on high alert and urged civilians to take shelter.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it viewed the incident "with great severity and remains prepared for a wide variety of scenarios".

A spokesman for the military, Jonathan Conricus, said that Israel had retaliated for the attack but did not give details.

Syria's state news agency Sana later said Israeli missiles had been shot down over Syria by anti-aircraft defences.

The latest confrontation follows a reported Israeli missile strike on a military outpost south of the Syrian capital of Damascus on Tuesday.

Sana reported that two missiles were shot down in the Kiswah area and that two civilians were killed in an explosion.

But the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said the missiles hit an Iranian weapons depot, killing 15 pro-government fighters.

Image copyright AFP
Image caption Earlier this week, Syrian state TV broadcast footage it said showed the downing of Israeli missiles near Damascus

Eight members of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards force and several other non-Syrian nationals were among those killed, it said.

Israel did not comment on the reports, but its government has vowed to stop what it considers Iran's military "entrenchment" in Syria.

Iran is a Syrian ally and has deployed hundreds of troops to the country.

Thousands of militiamen armed, trained and financed by Iran - mostly from Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, but also Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen - have also been fighting alongside the Syrian army.