AFTER ISRAEL ATTACKS, SYRIA KICKS BACK

For several years now, Syria has had to suck up attacks from Israel without being able to do anything about it. This was because the Assad Regime was too weak due to the country's long-running civil war. But it looks like Syria, backed up by its Iranian and Russian allies, now feels strong enough to start shooting back when attacked.

Following an Israeli air strike, Syrian and Iranian forces have now launched retaliatory strikes on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, a piece of Syrian territory seized and occupied by the Jewish state in 1967. 

20 rockets were fired by Iran's Quds force at Golan posts in Israel, including Mount Hermon. Some of the rockets were intercepted and no injuries were reported, the Israeli military stated Wednesday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Wednesday that Israel has attacked targets of the Syrian military on the outskirts of Quneitra in the Golan Heights.

Shortly thereafter siren alerts sounded in communities in the north and center of the Golan Heights in northern Israel. The Home Front Command released a reminder on safety regulations to residents of the area; some reported hearing explosions.

The Golan Regional Council released a statement saying that several towns in the Golan were targeted by rocket fire and that residents of those towns are requested to stay in shelters until notified otherwise.

Although Israel is calling the strikes an act of "aggression," they are clearly a response to repeated attacks by the Israelis on Syria. Furthermore they are occurring on Syrian territory, as the Golan Heights are still internationally recognised as part of Syria.  

Anyway, it appears that the missile strike was intended more as a shot across Israel's bow than a serious attempt to wreak havoc, as zero fatalities have been reported. This shows the influence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is keen to deescalate the war to a point where Assad can keep on winning on the ground while avoiding additional US involvement. 

The strikes occurred just as Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu was returning home from a visit to Moscow, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the Middle Eastern situation.