Israel: Iran fires rockets into Golan Heights

JERUSALEM — Iranian forces in Syria fired about 20 rockets into the Israelioccupied Golan Heights early this morning, targeting forward positions of the Israeli military, according to a military spokesman.

The spokesman, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, said Israel had responded to the attack but did not provide details. He said the episode was not over.

If confirmed, this would be the first rocket attack carried out directly by Iran, rather than by one of its proxies, against Israel.

Conricus said several rockets had been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. He said he was not aware of any casualties and the assessment of damage to Israeli facilities was low.

The Israeli military said in a statement it “views this event with great severity and remains prepared for a wide variety of scenarios.”

Israel and Iran have been conducting a shadow war in Syria under the cover of that country’s civil war. As Iran has tried to build up its military capabilities inside Syria, Israel has carried out scores of strikes to try to stop it.

The rocket attack appeared to come in response to Israeli strikes on positions in southern Syria on Wednesday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said explosions rang out in Al Baath, a village in the Syrian Golan Heights, late Wednesday after it was hit by missiles from Israel. The observatory said it did not have any information on whether anyone was killed in the strike.