JERUSALEM, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Israel's army on Friday evening fired at Syrian military posts in the Golan Heights, retaliating three mortars that hit the Israeli-annexed side of the Golan earlier.
"In response to the projectiles fired from Syria that hit the northern Golan Heights earlier this evening, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) targeted the locations where the launching originated from," read a military statement.
The attack came hours after a mortar exploded in an open field, causing no injuries, and two more hit the area about an hour later.
The mortars were believed to hit Israel by mistake, military officials said.
The incidents came amidst a one-day visit to Israel by United State Defense Secretary James Mattis.
Errant fire from the six-year fighting in Syria has occasionally been spilling over to Israel, usually causing no casualties or damage. Israel often retaliates the mortars with airstrikes.
Israel had repeatedly declared it would not intervene in the internal fighting in Syria but is widely believed to carry out airstrikes at weapons shipments and have been providing medical treatment to hundreds of wounded Syrians who reached the border.
