Second Israeli airstrike on Syrian army in five days

Israel military aircraft carried out airstrikes on Syrian armed forces for the second time in five days, on Thursday night.

According to Reuters, the attacks were in response to a Syrian mortar shell which landed on Israeli soil without causing injury.

An Israeli military spokesperson tweeted: "Our airplanes struck Syrian mortar positions last night in northern Syrian Golan Heights, as a deterrent against Syrian fighting slipping over into our country."

The Israeli air-force first "retaliated" against Syrian forces on Sunday, when a number of stray Syrian missiles exploded on Israeli territory in Golan.

The Golan Heights is a plateau region located between Israel and Syria and is close to an area of intense fighting between the Syrian government and rebels.

Israel first took control of the Golan Heights in 1967 and later annexed the region in 1981 as a means of creating a buffer zone between the two countries. However, Israeli settlers have also moved in to the area and Israel launched efforts to explore for oil and gas there.

The area has been a source of conflict and discussion ever since.