Israeli Army Helps UN Forces Stop Attack in Syria's Golan Heights

Jerusalem: The Israeli military announced on Saturday that its troops were assisting UN peacekeepers in repelling an attack by armed individuals near the Hader area in Syria, located on the edge of the buffer zone patrolled by the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights.

The army's statement read, "A short while ago, an attack was carried out by armed individuals at a UN post in the Hader area in Syria. The (Israeli army) is currently assisting the UN forces in repelling the attack."

While there was no immediate response from UNDOF regarding the incident, the attack occurred amidst a resurgence of violence in Syria. Earlier on Saturday, Syrian rebels reportedly seized control of Quneitra, a provincial capital roughly 12 kilometers south of Hader, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

In response to the unrest in Syria, the Israeli military has strengthened its presence in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. On Friday, the military announced reinforcements of both aerial and ground forces in the area and conducted exercises on Saturday to assess troop readiness.

Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi, who visited the Syrian border on Saturday, clarified Israel’s stance: "We are not intervening in events in Syria but are working to thwart and prevent threats in the area."

The situation has further underscored the fragility of the Golan Heights region, which Israel captured during the Six-Day War in 1967 and annexed in a move not internationally recognized. Since 1974, UNDOF has maintained a buffer zone between Israeli- and Syrian-controlled territories.

This is not the first time UNDOF has faced attacks in the region. In 2014, Islamist rebels kidnapped more than 40 Fijian peacekeepers in a similar incident, holding them hostage for nearly two weeks.

The Israeli military has not commented on whether the attack on Saturday was ongoing.