Following air strikes widely attributed to Israel against weapons shipment to Hezbollah along the Syria-Lebanon border, Arab media reported on a new attack in Syrian territory early Monday morning. The latest attack on Syrian and Hezbollah assets, it is now being reported, was the work of Al Qaeda-affiliated rebels and not Israel.

Overnight, Al Jazeera (Arabic link) reported the Israel Air Force attacked several targets in the Qalamoun mountains near the Lebanon-Syria border, where the long-range Scud missiles which Bashar al-Assad is trying to transfer to Hezbollah are located. Al-Arabiya (Arabic link) reported that the attack was carried out on the base of unit 155, and was targeting Assad’s long-range missiles and strategic weapons.

However, Israeli defense officials estimated (Hebrew link) that Israel didn’t carry out the attack, and that the most recent incident is part of the internal struggle between the rebel groups in Syria, Assad’s forces, and Hezbollah.

Ron Ben Yishai, veteran military correspondent for Ynet, added:

Explosions in the early hours of Monday on the Syria-Lebanon border were the work of the Al-Nusra Front militant group fighting the Assad regime, and not Israel, reliable sources said Monday morning.

The group is apparently trying to make psychological gains that would lead to the departure of the Syrian army and Hezbollah from the region, making them believe that Israel is launching strikes there, and taking advantage of the alleged previous Israeli assault.

On Sunday, the Israel Air Force spotted and struck a group of four infiltrators laying a mine on the Israel-Syria border. The four were killed by the Israeli strikes. The attempted infiltration by Assad-backed terrorists was likely a response to the attacks attributed to Israel against arms shipments that were meant for Hezbollah.

[Photo: Posey Elders / YouTube ]