Syria Shell Hits Town in Israeli-Occupied Golan
A mortar shell fired from war-torn Syria struck the outskirts of a town in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Monday, witnesses told Agence France Presse.
The shell landed on the western edge of Majdal Shams, some 50 meters (yards) from a house, but caused no injuries or damage, they said.
An Israeli military confirmed the incident but refused to give specifics on exactly where the shell landed.
"A mortar shell hit the northern Golan Heights but caused no damage or injuries," a spokeswoman told AFP, saying initial indications suggested it was "errant fire."
Majdal Shams is the largest town in the Golan Heights, with a population of about 9,900, all of whom are Druze.
The spokeswoman said there had also been small arms fire in the central Golan towards Israeli troops during the morning.
"Troops returned fire and confirmed a hit," she said, without giving further details.
The Israeli-occupied sector of the strategic plateau has been tense since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011.
So far, there have only been minor flare-ups as Syrian small arms fire or mortar rounds hit the Israeli side, prompting Israel to respond occasionally.
Israel, which is technically at war with Syria, seized 1,200 square kilometers (460 square miles) of the strategic plateau during the 1967 Six Day War.
It later annexed it in a move never recognized by the international community.
Source: Agence France Presse
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