Israeli jets strike Golan after rocket fire

Israeli warplanes hit Syrian army targets on the Golan Heights less than 12 hours after rockets hit the Israeli-occupied area, in what Israel said was "a clear message" to Damascus.

Tuesday's rocket fire from Syria did not injure anyone. The Israeli air force retaliated by striking Syrian army artillary positions around midnight local time.

The incident follows another Israeli air strike ten days ago on the same areas of the Syrian Golan, in which six Hizballah fighters and an Iranian general were killed, raising tensions in the Golan and regionally.

Israel seized 460 square miles (1,200 square kilometres) of the Golan during the Six Day War of 1967 then annexed it in 1981 in a move never recognised by the international community.

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said in a statement that Israel would respond to any attack, whether by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or any other group.

"The overnight attack by the air force against regime targets in an area under Assad's control in Syria is a clear message that we will not put up with any fire at Israeli territory or any breach of our sovereignty, and we will respond with force and determination," he said.

Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said Israel had hit two military bases in the Quneitra area.

"The strikes targeted two bases in the area under the Syrian army's 90th Brigade, in Quneitra province. There were no immediate reports of casualties," he said.

Following Tuesday's rocket attack, Israeli army spokesman Peter Lerner said the fire was "intentional, not spillover from the Syrian civil war" as has often been the case in the past.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israel would "respond with force".

Washington expressed support for Israel's right to self-defence, but said it did not want "an escalation of the situation".

"We call upon all parties to avoid any action that would jeopardise the long-held ceasefire between Israel and Syria and abide by the 1974 disengagement of forces agreement," State Department spokesman Jen Psaki said.