According an IDF source cited by RIA Novosti, Israeli troops have opened warning fire toward Syrian government forces. However, no official confirmation by the Israeli Defense Forces has followed so far.
The move, which is yet to be commented on by the Syrian government, was explained by Tel Aviv's opposition to Damascus erecting a military post in a demilitarized zone on the border it considers to be a violation of agreements. In addition to a tank firing what was described as a "warning shot," Israel has also sent a complaint to the UN Disengagement Observer Force Zone (UNDOF).
"The Syrian armed forces have violated the ceasefire agreement of 1974, carrying out construction work […] in the northern part of the demilitarized zone between Syria and Israel. The agreement prohibits the entry of heavy construction machinery or military vehicles there," the IDF source said.
There has been no immediate information about the losses from the Syrian side.
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Tel Aviv and Damascus, which have never signed a peace treaty and have multiple times exchanged tit-for-tat attacks in border areas, had signed the Agreement on Disengagement in 1974, which officially ended the Yom Kippur War, a time when Israel had control over the entire territory of the Golan Heights, including the area belonging to Syria.
Most recently, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that the country would "maintain absolute freedom of action" in Syria as Tel Aviv is guided only by the interests of national security.