Israeli army says hits squad placing explosives along Syria frontier

The Israeli army on Monday said it had fired at and hit a group of militants placing explosives along the border fence with Syria on the Golan Heights.

Soldiers spotted the group near a frontier outpost overnight and, backed by air support, “fired simultaneously towards the squad of four terrorists, a hit was identified,” the military said.

No Israelis were injured.

There was no immediate comment from Syria.

Tensions have risen in recent weeks along the Israel-Syria frontier after a fighter of the Iranian-backed Shi’ite group Hezbollah was killed in an apparent Israeli strike on the edge of Damascus.

Israel has since boosted its forces on its northern front, where it borders Lebanon and Syria.

The military said it “holds the Syrian regime responsible for all events on Syrian soil and will not tolerate any violation of Israeli sovereignty.”