Special to WorldTribune.com

NICOSIA — Al Qaida-aligned fighters have expanded operations in the
Golan Heights near Israel.

The Syrian opposition said a leading Al Qaida militia was operating in
the southern Golan. On Jan. 24, the militia, identified as the Nusra Front for the Defense of Syria, blew up a Syrian military intelligence
headquarters some 23 kilometers from the Israeli border.

“We think the blast might have killed a colonel who has been leading the fight against rebels in the area,” Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdul Rahman said.

The Observatory said the target of Nusra was a security facility in
Sasa. The attack was conducted by a car bomb reported to have killed at least eight people.

Opposition sources said Nusra has expanded its presence in the Syrian
portion of the Golan. They said Islamist fighters were in control of at
least two towns near United Nations troops who separate Israel and Syria.

Israel confirmed the explosion along the Golan. Israel’s military has
warned Sunni rebels against shooting into the Jewish state.

  Golan Heights, Nusra Front, Rebels with Al Qaida ties blow up Syrian military outpost near Israeli border, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights