Israel Matzav

Syrian shot trying to break through Golan border fence

The IDF said that the troops spotted the Syrian while on a routine patrol in the southern Golan Heights in the afternoon. The man was trying to cut through the fence and the soldiers called out to him a number of times to stop.

When he refused, they opened fire in the air but when he continued trying to cut through the fence, the soldiers opened fire, hitting him in the leg with a single bullet. The man was then evacuated by several Syrian civilians. The IDF said that he was not armed.

A senior officer in the Northern Command’s Golan Division said that the IDF has recorded an increase in the number of Syrians approaching the border in recent days, likely connected to the escalating violence in Syria.

“Our assumption is that someone who approaches the border and tries to cut it is not coming peacefully and is likely a terrorist,” the officer said. “Any infiltration of the border is a violation of Israel’s sovereignty and the IDF will respond accordingly.”

Labels: Bashar al-Assad, Golan Heights, security fence, Syrian uprising

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:18 PM