Syria: Israel launches more cross-border strikes June 25 /update 1

Event

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched airstrikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s defense forces for the second consecutive day on Sunday, June 25. According to the IDF, the strikes were ordered after a dozen projectiles were fired from Syria into the Golan Heights. The IDF claims that three Syrian regime tanks were destroyed in the counterattack and that the origin of the projectiles was also hit. Two Syrian soldiers were reportedly killed by the strikes.

Tensions are currently on the rise in the Golan Heights and cross-border incidents have become increasing frequent since the beginning of 2017.

Context

Israeli officials said that the cross-border fire did not cause any damage in the Golan Heights. The IDF conducted similar airstrikes against pro-regime forces on April 23 after mortar rounds landed in the area.

The Golan Heights is a contested area, claimed by Israel, Syria, and Lebanon. Israel has occupied a large part (nearly 70 percent) of the region since the 1967 Six-Day War.

Advice

Due to extremely poor security conditions, Western governments generally advise against all travel to Syria, with some countries banning all travel to the country. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to any travel to the country.