Jerusalem, Jan 28 (IANS): An anti-tank missile was fired at an Israeli military vehicle Wednesday in Mount Dov, along the Israeli-Lebanese border, injuring several Israeli soldiers, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed.
The incident took place on a part of the Israeli-Lebanese border which does not have a security fence, Xinhua news agency reported citing IDF. The attack comes a day after rockets were launched from Syria at northern Israel's Golan Heights.
Several Israeli soldiers were wounded as a result of the attack, but their number and their condition was initially unclear and not officially confirmed.
In response the IDF fired artillery shells into Lebanon. The Lebanese paper the Daily Star quoted Lebanese security officials as saying that at least eight shells fired from Israel hit Lebanon. The Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack on the IDF vehicle.
Security forces instructed Israeli residents of northern Israeli villages near the border to stay in their homes and have blocked several roads. Military Chief of Staff Benny Gantz and Defence Minister Moshe Ya'alon both convened emergency assessment meetings following the incident.
After the anti-tank missile was fired, mortars were also fired at Israeli military forces at the scene, as well as a house in the northern Israeli village of Rajar. No injuries were reported from these attacks.
On Tuesday, two rockets were launched from Syria and landed in open territories in northern Israel's Golan Heights, which Israel annexed in the 1967 Mideast War. No injuries or damage was reported and the IDF retaliated with artillery fire into Syria, resulting in several injuries, according to Syrian media.
On Tuesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that "those who play with fire will be hit by fire", alluding to the earlier rocket attacks.
He said Israel viewed the rocket attacks severely and will "know how to defend itself" against those who "challenge us within our borders".
Israeli security forces believe Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia militant group, orchestrated this attack along with Syrian forces of President Bashar al-Assad, in response to an alleged Israeli airstrike last week, which killed several Hezbollah and Iranian operatives, including a top Hezbollah commander and an Iranian general.
The IDF has been on high alert in the past week in northern Israel following the alleged airstrike and anticipating response, deploying more forces in the area. The Ha'aretz daily reported Tuesday the IDF installed concrete blocks along part of the Israeli-Lebanese border, to shield against shooting attacks.
Although not officially confirmed, it is believed Israel carried out several airstrikes against Syria, targeting weapons transfer from Iran to Hezbollah, due to the fighting spilling over from the Syrian civil war into northern Israel.