Klein Online

YOM KIPPUR ROAR: Rocket from Syria lands in northern Israel. Damascus official denies reports of misplaced army shelling

Posted on September 26, 2012 at 2:19 PM EST

by Aaron Klein

TEL AVIV — A top Syrian government official speaking to KleinOnline denied that a rocket launched from Syria that landed in northern Israeli territory today was misplaced Syrian army firing, as has been widely reported.

“I am not aware of any clashes between the Syrian Army and the rebels taking place so close to the Israeli border,” added the Syrian official.  “In any case, the Syrian army does not fire rockets against the rebels.”

The official further claimed that mortars launched from Syria landing in Israel yesterday were unrelated to any fighting between the rebels and the Syrian army.

The official refused to respond when asked whether he believed yesterday’s mortars or today’s rocket were fired at Israel deliberately either by Syrian forces or by jihad groups.

As Israelis celebrated Yom Kippur today, one rocket landed in an open area of the Golan Heights near the Syrian border while several mortars landed yesterday near Kibbutz Elrom in the northern Golan Heights.

Yesterday’s projectiles were widely reported as mortars apparently fired by the Syrian army at the Syrian village of Jubata Al Khashab in response to rebel activity in the area. Today’s rocket was also blamed on misplaced Syrian fire in Israeli media accounts.

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces told KleinOnline the Israeli army is investigating the incidents.

“IDF forces remain alert and will continue their routine activity, protecting the borders and the residents of the State of Israel,” said the spokesperson.