The Israeli military said Thursday it was reinforcing the country's northern border with infantry troops after the Hezbollah terror group threatened to retaliate for the killing of one of its fighters in an alleged IDF raid in Syria earlier this week.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said the additional deployment is done "in accordance with the situational assessment" and that life of local farmers and holidaymakers is not expected to be affected.
Hezbollah sources told the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that there was a decision to retaliate for the killing of its fighter in Damascus on Monday.
"The response will be in line with [Hezbollah chief] Hassan Nasrallah's promise to respond from the Lebanese soil to any harm done to Hezbollah members in Syria," said the source.
In a statement on Monday, Hezbollah confirmed that member Ali Kamel Mohsen was killed by the “Zionist aggression” on the outskirts of Damascus.
On Wednesday, the IDF announced it would be canceling a naval drill scheduled to have taken place in the area.
Last time there was a flare-up on the Israel-Lebanon border, the Iran-backed Shi'ite organization launched anti-tank missiles at IDF post and military vehicles near the town of Avivim in the north, on September 1, 2019. The incident ended with no casualties to Israeli troops.
On Monday, according to multiple reports, Israel attacked sites belonging to Hezbollah and several other organizations backed by Iran, south of the Syrian capital.
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Syrian air defenses operate over Damascus during strike attributed to Israel near the airport
Israel did not comment on the strike and generally refrains from discussing its activities in neighboring Syria. But it is believed to have carried out hundreds of strikes against pro-Iranian forces during the nearly decade-long civil war.
Tehran has sent thousands of Iran-backed fighters over the recent years to fight alongside Syrian government forces.
Israel views Iran as a regional menace and has vowed to prevent any permanent Iranian military buildup in Syria, particularly near its frontier.
Associated Press and i24NEWS contributed to this report