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Israel: Syrian Rebels Using Borders to Limit Government's Ability to Respond

(McClatchy) Sheera Frenkel - Syrian rebels are using their country's borders as strategic fighting positions, forcing the Syrian military to limit its response to avoid triggering a confrontation with neighboring countries, an Israeli military officer said Tuesday. In the last three weeks there has been a sharp increase in fighting between the Syrian military and rebel forces just a few miles from the Israeli border. "They know that near the Israeli border the Syrian army is limited in how they can hit them," said the officer. He said the incidents earlier this week in which Syrian mortar rounds fell inside Israel were accidents. On Syrian's northern border with Turkey, the Turkish government has retaliated by opening fire on Syrian military positions every time a Syrian shell lands in Turkey. The rebels had formed a strategic position around the Syrian village of Quneitra on the Golan Heights. "They are all Islamists and one group, the Eagles of the Golan, are Salafists," the officer said. "We find this worrying because we have heard them say that after their first priority of dealing with the Syrian regime, the second thing will be to deal with Israel."
2012-11-14 00:00:00
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