Israeli jets strike IS base in Syria

The Israeli Air Force overnight struck a compound used by Islamic State militant group in Syria, military said.

The attack targeted an abandoned UN building that has been used by the IS as an operation centre along the border in Golan Heights, Xinhua news agency cited the statement as saying.

Several fighter jets took part in the raid, dropping 10 one-ton bombs on the target.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The compound was a base for a shooting attack on Sunday, in which the IS militants fired at a military patrol on the Israeli side of the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights from a machine gun-mounted truck.

Israel responded with an airstrike, killing four gunmen in the vehicle.

It was reportedly the first confrontation between Israeli soldiers and IS militants.

Israel has been largely unaffected by the Syrian civil war next door.

While avoiding being drawn into the internal Syrian conflict, Israel attacks Syrian military targets when fire, even unintentional, spills over the demarcation line.

--IANS

py/vt