Special to WorldTribune.com

NICOSIA — Israel and Syria have been engaged in an increasingly
bitter border war.

Western diplomatic sources said Israeli and Syrian forces were battling
on a nearly daily basis along the Golan Heights. They said the fighting
often began with Syrian Army or proxy attacks on Israel Army outposts and
vehicles.

“At first, the attacks seemed connected to rebel operations, but now it
is clear that there are direct Syrian regime-sponsored attacks on the
Israelis,” a diplomat said.

The diplomatic sources said the daily battles have been facilitated by
the absence of United Nations peacekeepers in the Golan. They said the UN
Disengagement and Observers Force has ended virtually all operations on the
Syrian side of the ceasefire buffer zone, established after the 1973 war.

On May 21, Syria said Israel Army troops entered the Syrian-controlled
area of the Golan Heights. A Syrian government statement said an Israel Army vehicle was destroyed.

“Our noble armed forces destroyed an Israeli vehicle, which entered from
the occupied territories and crossed the ceasefire line,” the Syrian
military said.

Israel acknowledged a Syrian attack that damaged an Army vehicle. But an
Israeli military statement said the vehicle did not cross into Syria and
none of its soldiers were injured.

Over the last two years of the Sunni revolt in Syria, Israel has been
subject to numerous cases of mortar and automatic weapons fire. But until
the spring of 2013, the military attributed most of these incidents to stray
fire in battles between Sunni rebels and the regime of President Bashar
Assad.

“If he [Assad] disturbs the Golan Heights, he will have to bear the
consequences,” Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz said on May 21.

Over the last month, Assad has called for attacks on Israel, and
suspected Iranian and Syrian proxies claimed responsibility for a
series of strikes against Israel outposts. Israeli military sources said
Assad was believed to have been working with the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah
to sustain the campaign.

“We are not allowing and we will not permit a spillover of fire into our
territory,” Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said.

“Overnight, a Syrian Army target was destroyed after such gunfire spilled
into our territory in the Golan Heights.”

“Israel has relayed several tough messages to Assad to stop the
fighting,” the diplomat said. “It is likely that this will escalate unless
the fire from Syria ends.”

  Bashar Assad, Golan Heights, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, Moshe Ya’alon, Syrians reported attacking the Israelis on daily basis along Golan Heights, UN Disengagement and Observers Force