After light weapons and mortar fire into northern Israel from Syria has become a fairly common occurrence, a bomb was detonated against an IDF northern Golan Heights border patrol on Friday, 3 Teves 5774. While the weapons and mortar fire into the Golan Heights has usually been attributed to mistaken fire in the ongoing civil war in Syria, there can be no mistake in this case. The bomb was detonated against paratroopers patrolling the northern border. According to the daily Maariv, it was the first such attack in that location in 40 years, since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Military and intelligence community officials fear the Global Jihad and/or al-Qaeda have taken up position in the Golan Heights and this attack was the result of their actions.

A senior military official is quoted anonymously by Maariv, explaining “we are still studying the details of that attack towards determining who may be behind it”, adding “There are no lovers of Zion along that border and Assad no longer controls a large portion of the border.”

The patrol was operating in the area of Majdal Shams late Friday afternoon when it reported hearing an explosion nearby. The soldiers reported feeling the force of the blast. B’chasdei Hashem there were no fatalities or injuries.

It appears the bomb was detonated by a remote control.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)