World

Sea of Galilee Attack: Daesh Tries to Drag Israel to Syrian War - Ex-Intel Chief

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Wednesday's missile strike on Israeli territory was made from Daesh* positions in Syria and that the Israel Defense Forces responded by hitting the terrorists' missile launchers.
Sputnik

Firing missiles ino the Sea of Galilee was nothing but an attempt by Daesh terrorists to draw Israel into a confrontation with the Syrian government, Amos Yadlin, the former head of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)'s military intelligence, told the Times of Israel newspaper.

"I actually think [Daesh] did want to harm us. What [Daesh] wanted was apparently to cause some kind of confrontation between us and the Syrians, who are putting immense pressure on them with heavy shelling from Syrian planes and Russian planes," Yadlin, who now serves as head of Israel's Institute for National Security Studies think tank, said.

READ MORE: Daesh Continues Resistance in Syria Only in US-Controlled Areas – Russian MoD

He added that even though Daesh planned "to cause harm", the type of rockets the terrorist group used "are very, very inaccurate."

Describing the IDF hitting Daesh instead of the Syrian Army as "the right move", Yadlin said that President Bashar Assad is not interested in opening a new front against Israel.

"Assad's enemy today is the opposition. In the south, only Daesh remains. In the north, he still has other large forces in this area. The last thing the Syrian regime wants is an escalation [of fighting] against Israel," he said.

READ MORE: Syria Launches a Dozen Strikes Against Daesh in Southern Golan Heights

His remarks came as the Russian Defense Ministry expressed gratitude to the IDF for retaliation against the Wednesday missile attack, which the Ministry said was staged by Daesh terrorists based in Quneitra province.

"A precision strike by jets and IDF artillery operatively destroyed Daesh terrorists and their rocket launchers," the Ministry added.

Earlier, Israel media reported that two projectiles landed inside Israel's Sea of Galilee, located about 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) from Syria's border.

READ MORE: Retired General Tells Sputnik How Syria Can Get Golan Heights Back From Israel

According to The Jerusalem Post, the rockets were discovered on Wednesday evening after locals reported seeing an object fall into the water near the popular Gofra Beach, which is on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee.

Syrian Army Gains Control of Strategic Hill Near Israeli-Occupied Golan Heights
A small pocket of Daesh terrorists remains concentrated in southwestern Syria; this region borders the Golan Heights, a Syrian territory occupied by the Israeli military since 1967 and annexed in 1982.

Tensions near the Golan Heights have escalated in recent weeks amid the Syrian Army's efforts to free the country's south from militant groups.

Militants not affiliated with Daesh or al-Nusra Front * began to surrender and evacuate from southern Syria on July 15 following negotiations facilitated by the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria.


*Daesh, Al-Nusra Front, terrorist groups banned in Russia

Discuss