Border clashes as IDF pair killed in ambush

On Tuesday rockets were fired from a Syrian army position towards Israel. Two fell harmlessly within Israeli territory causing but the Hermon ski resort was evacuated as a precaution.

In the past, most shells falling on the Israeli side were the result of misfired shots by rebel groups but in this case the IDF believe that the firing was deliberated and that Hezbollah was involved.

Israel retaliated later that night achieving "direct hits" on Syrian targets, according to a military spokesman. Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said that Israel blames the Assad regime for the attacks and pledged to "respond powerfully to any breach of our sovereignty".

News organisations in Syria reported that Israeli jets had also attacked a number of Syrian air force bases on the Golan and near Damascus. As in previous reports of air strikes, Israel refused to acknowledge whether it was responsible.

Israeli intelligence believes though that Hezbollah and Iran are planning a much more ambitious operation in retaliation to the deaths of its senior commanders.

While the revenge attack could, as in the past, take place far from Israel against an Israeli or Jewish target abroad, the IDF has increased its deployment on the northern border to prevent possible incursions by Hizbollah.

This has included adding concrete barriers to the border fence to deny them a line-of-fire from positions within Lebanon.

This has been backed by a series of drillings to investigate whether Hezbollah have tried, like Hamas in Gaza, to build tunnels under the border.