Israeli air force bombs Islamic State base in the Golan Heights

Israel's air force overnight Monday attacked an Islamic State base of operations on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, the Israeli army said. 

The bombing of the abandoned UN building that had been converted into a base of operations comes a day after gunmen from a terrorist group associated with Islamic State, Shuhada al-Yarmouk, opened fire at Israeli forces in the region.  Four members were killed when the Israeli air force intervened, targeting the vehicle from which the gunmen had been firing. No soldiers were hurt in the ensuing exchange.  

A military spokesman would not confirm media reports that Sunday's attack was the first time Islamic State fighters had attacked the Israeli-occupied section of the Golan Heights, which it took from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War.

The five-year-old civil war currently raging in Syria has frequently spilled over into the Golan, turning the strategic border area into a national security issue for Israel.    (dpa)

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