Iranian troops aiding rocket barrage - Israel
An Israeli army general said claimed that Iranian troops are helping Hezbollah guerrillas fire Iranian-made rockets at Israel.
Iran fiercely denied the allegation.
Major General Udi Adam, of the Northern Command, said Israeli forces had identified Iranian troops and that the rockets that hit Haifa earlier today, killing eight people, were Iranian-made.
Hamid Reza Asefi, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, denied the claims.
“There are no (Iranian) guards there. Shipment of (Iranian) missiles to Hezbollah is also not correct,” he told reporters Sunday in Tehran.
Asefi also warned Israel that attacking Syria and expanding the conflict in the region would bring the Jewish state “unimaginable damages”.
His remarks came minutes after dozens of rockets were fired at Haifa.
“We hope the Zionist regime does not make the mistake of attacking Syria. Expanding the front of aggression and attacks ... will definitely face the Zionist regime with unimaginable damages,” Asefi said.
In Israel, residents of Tel Aviv, the country’s commercial hub, were warned to be wary of possible attacks and to listen out for air raid sirens.
No missiles or rockets have struck the city, but Israeli officials have warned that Hezbelloh may have rockets that could reach the city.
In Damascus, Syria’s government today promised Israel a firm and immediate retaliation for any possible Israeli attack on its territory.
“Any aggression against Syria will be met with a firm and direct response whose timing and methods are unlimited,” Syria’s official news agency quoted Information Minister Mohsen Bilal as saying.
Israel has accused both Syria and Iran of supporting Hezbollah.
