Special to WorldTribune.com

TEL AVIV — Israel’s military has deployed its Iron Dome missile and rocket defense system near the frontier with Syria.

Military sources said the Israel Air Force has stationed an Iron Dome battery near the Golan Heights, divided between Israel and Syria. They said the battery was meant to protect against rocket and mortar fire from either Lebanon or Syria.

“There has been an alert of such a threat,” a source said.

On late June 4, Iron Dome was activated to stop a mortar attack from Syria. The sources said the battery fired two interceptors, but redirected after the mortars were determined as heading toward open areas.

This marked the first time that Iron Dome, introduced in 2010, was employed near Lebanon or Syria. The platform, produced by the state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, was designed to intercept rockets and missiles with a range of more than 100 kilometers.

So far, Iron Dome has proven unable to stop mortars, a key form of attack from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Rafael has also developed a laser designed to destroy mortars and artillery shells.

The Israeli side of the Golan Heights has undergone steady fire from
Syria. The sources said the military assessed that most of the fire
represented stray shells in battles between Sunni rebels and the Syrian
Army.

But the sources did not rule out intensified fire from the Syrian town
of Quneitra, which contains an army base. The sources said Sunni rebels,
including those trained by the United States, were trying to force Israel to
attack the Syrian Army.

“There is hope on the other side that the more they fire at us, the
harder we will hit Assad,” the source said.

  Gaza Strip, Israel deploys Iron Dome near Syrian border at Golan Heights, Quneitra, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems