Israel hints more attacks if Syria “ignores message”

By: Ahmad Hammadi

HELD JERUSALEM: More action could be directed against Syria if it “ignores the message” of last month's air strike near Damascus, Israeli radio quoted on Monday the army chief of staff General Moshe Yaalon as saying.

During a speech at Tel Aviv University, General Yaalon threatened: “If Syria continues to ignore the messages that Israel and other countries have sent it, it may be necessary to send further messages of a different nature.”

“As long as the headquarters of terrorist groups continue to operate out of Syria, Damascus will bear the responsibility for this,” he said.

On October 5, Israeli warplanes struck an area where Palestinian refugees were living deep in Syria, about 10 miles northwest of Damascus. Israeli media said it was the first Israeli attack on Syrian soil in more than two decades. The Israeli army said the attack was on Islamic Jihad training base, an accusation strongly denied by Syria.

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