Syrian rebels clashed with the Lebanese Hezbollah militia in Quneitra province near the Israeli-Occupied Golan Heights, a local activist said Saturday.
Hezbollah militants sought to seize posts held by rebels in the town of Khan Arnabeh in the northern countryside, activist Abu Adnan al-Joulani told Zaman al-Wasl.
The clashes extended to the town of Ofanya, as Hezbollah artillery reached several towns in Quneitra province.
Rebels warned they would pound the regime and Hezbollah's military positions in Khan Arnabeh on Sunday, urging civilians to stay at home.
The rebel command room in northern Quneitra includes Ahrar al-Sham movement, Knights (Fursan) of the Golan Heights and the Golan Lions Division.
The move came as tension has risen between Tehran and Tel Aviv over the week.
On Monday, the Israeli army said it had responded to a mortar bomb fired from Syria that struck the occupied Golan Heights.
The Israeli military held the Syrian regime accountable for the attack and said it will not tolerate any attempt to breach Israeli sovereignty or endanger civilians.
Israel has occupied most of the Syrian Golan Heights since the 1967 Middle East war.
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman reiterated Friday that Israel will not allow Iran to establish a foothold in Syria that would pose a threat to his country.
"What our problem is and what we will not allow is for Iranians to establish a base in Syria against Israel," Lieberman said during his speech at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a pro-Israel think tank, adding Israel does not pursue a policy of being involved in the Syria crisis, the Anadolu Agency reported.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
