Israel Killed Seven Terrorists in Overnight Strike on Syrian Golan

Israel killed seven armed terrorists in an airstrike on the southern Syrian Golan Heights, the IDF said on Thursday.

The IDF confirmed carrying out an airstrike, saying it had targeted “several armed terror operatives in the southern Syrian Golan Heights” overnight.

Following searches Thursday morning, the IDF said that explosive belts and an AK-47 assault rifle were found in the area of the strikes.

The IDF later confirmed that the terrorists, from Islamic State, had been identified between the Alpha Line and the border. They were armed with suicide vests, Kalashnikovs and grenades. They never crossed into Israeli territory but did get within 600 feet from the border.

Earlier, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman described Syria’s return to its pre-civil war situation as a given, and predicted that the Golan Heights frontier would be quieter with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s central rule restored.

“From our perspective, the situation is returning to how it was before the civil war, meaning there is a real address, someone responsible, and central rule,” Liberman told reporters.

Asked whether Israelis should be less wary of potential Golan flare-ups, Lieberman said: “I believe so.”