A Merkava IV tank. FILE PHOTO: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
On March 2, a main battle tank of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) opened fire at a Syrian Arab Army (SAA) position in the southern Syrian governorate of al-Qunitra.
The tank fired three shells at the vicinity of the position, which is commonly known as al-Ziraa tower, as a group of unidentified military personnel was approaching it. No casualties or material losses were reported as result of the direct fire attack.
The al-Ziraa tower is a four-storey building that is reportedly being used as an observation position by the SAA’s 90th Brigade.
The Israeli attack came just two days after the IDF warned the SAA against allowing Lebanese Hezbollah to establish a presence on Tell al-Hara hilltop in leaflets which were dropped over the al-Qunitra and neighboring Daraa. Tell al-Hara, which is located in the western Daraa countryside, hosts a former Syrian-Russian signal intelligence base.
The IDF carried out several direct fire attacks and ground intrusion into al-Quneitra buffer zone in the last few months to limit the movements of the SAA and alleged members of Hezbollah.
Israel announced on February 20 that a suspect who had been detained by the IDF after crossing from Syria into the occupied Golan Heights a month earlier was involved in efforts by the Lebanese Hezbollah terror group to gather intelligence.
The situation along the Golan Heights front remains tense. However, the new Israeli attack will not likely lead to any further military escalation.
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