Middle East: Gaza aid centers closed for a day – DW – 06/04/2025
Skip next section Israeli army says it shelled Syria after projectiles launched
06/04/2025
June 4, 2025 Israeli army says it shelled Syria after projectiles launched
Israeli's military said it was shelling targets in Syria late on Tuesday after projectiles launched from Syria hit the Israel-controlled Golan Heights.
"Two projectiles were identified crossing from Syria into Israeli territory, and fell in open areas," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted on X.
In a subsequent post, the IDF said that its "artillery struck in southern Syria" following the launches.
Syria's official news agency SANA reported shelling "targeting the Yarmuk Basin, in the west of Daraa" province.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said violent explosions had hit farmland in southern Syria, without reporting casualties.
Israel says its strikes aim to stop advanced weapons reaching Syria's new authorities, led by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whom it considers jihadists.
Israeli media said Tuesday's projectiles were the first fired from Syria into Israeli territory since the fall of former Syrian President Bashir Assad in December.
Who is behind the launches from Syria?
A group calling itself the Mohammed Deif Brigades, named after a Hamas military leader killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza last year, claimed the attack in a post on Telegram, according to AP news agency.
The group first surfaced on social media a few days before.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X that he held Syria's leader "directly responsible" for the launches.
Syria's foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run TV channel that it has "not yet verified the accuracy" of the reports of strikes launched from Syria toward Israel.
"We affirm that Syria has not and will not pose a threat to any party in the region," the statement said.
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