Israel targets Syria positions after Golan mortar fire

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — Israel's army said Friday it had targeted positions inside Syria in retaliation for mortar fire that hit the northern part of the Golan Heights.

"The Israeli army targeted the source of the fire," an army statement said without giving further details.

An army spokeswoman told AFP she was unable to elaborate on how Israel retaliated or to identify any targets that were hit.

Syria's official news agency SANA said Israel had struck a Syrian army position in the province of Quneitra on the Golan plateau, "causing damage".

SANA said the Israeli fire came "after a bid by terrorist groups to infiltrate Syrian military positions was foiled".

The Syrian government labels rebel groups and extremists fighting the regime as “terrorists” and accuses Israel of backing them.

Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres of the Golan from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community.

Around 510 square kilometres of the Golan are under Syrian control.

The two countries are still technically at war, although the border remained largely quiet for decades until 2011, when the Syrian conflict broke out.

The Israeli side is hit sporadically by what are usually deemed to be stray rounds, and Israel has recently taken to opening fire in retaliation.