Israelis fired upon from Syria

Bullets on the northern border: Israelis came under fire from Syria today, after a man on the Syrian side of the border with Israel opened fire at a group of Israeli civilians and soldiers who were making repairs on the Israeli side of the border fence, Sunday afternoon.

IDF forces following the incident (Photo: Avihu Shapira)

IDF forces did not fire back at the shooter, who fled the scene. 

There were no casualties, but vehicles were damaged. The IDF said there were no special instructions for  border communities in the Golan Heights, and that residents should behave as normal. 

A few hours later a UNIFIL force detained a man suspected of carrying out the shooting attack.

A preliminary military analysis indicates that the man, who fired at least two bullets, was a Syrian civilian operating on his own.  Nonetheless, the IDF spokesperson's office reported that the circumstances are still being investigated.

Israel also submitted a complaint to the UN force responsible for the area.

Golan Heights residents confirmed that their daily routine continues undisturbed and told Ynet that this is a singular incident and does not constitute an escalation on the Syrian border. 

"It's possible that this is a way for certain parties on the other side of the border to express solidarity with Gaza residents and censure for the IDF's operation there," one resident said.

The Syrian border has been generally quiet since the Yom Kippur War in 1973, but occasionally, Syrians attempt to infiltrate Israel.  The IDF regularly patrols along the border, where shepherds sometimes skirt the border. At such time, UN forces in the area work to ensure that the border is not breached.

Elsewhere on the northern border, five Katyusha rockets were fired from southern Lebanon last Thursday, apparently by Palestinians

 expressing support for Hamas.