Syrian mortar fire hits Golan

Syrian mortar rounds, apparently fired during fighting between government forces and rebels, fell in Israeli-held territory early on Tuesday, the Israeli military said. The Israeli army said that an undisclosed number of rounds fell on the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from neighbouring Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and unilaterally annexed in 1981. "Earlier this morning several mortar shells landed in the Golan Heights, causing no damage or injuries," a spokesman said. "The shells were aimed at villages inside Syria and are part of the ongoing internal conflict." He added that the Israeli military had filed a complaint with United Nations forces responsible for the border area, "saying that fire from Syria leaking into Israel will not be accepted." Separately, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least five Syrian troops and two rebels were killed in fighting that erupted after insurgents attacked army checkpoints near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The clashes took place in the villages of Hamidiyeh and Horriyeh in Quneitra province, located in the small part of the Golan that is not held by neighbouring Israel, the Observatory said.